Kavetuna pleads for NYC cooperation, unity
A former secretary general of the National Youth Council has urged them to do more to include marginalised community members.
Former health deputy minister and current Swapo backbencher Juliet Kavetuna yesterday called on members and the executive of the NYC to do away with division in discussions of national importance.
“It is important to do away with the division; try to meet each other halfway. I think it is important for the council to start thinking about the marginalised. Next time, I would like to see people from the San community, the Ovazemba, Ovahimba and Ovatjimba,” stated Kavetuna during the official opening ceremony of the council’s seventh representative meeting in Windhoek.
She said she has raised San-speaking persons who are now working, while some are continuing with their studies.
“I am deeply worried about the high unemployment numbers, the abuse of narcotics, the ageing and bad shape of our youth fabrics due to ill-health, malnutrition and other social ills our young people are facing,” she added.
Kavetuna, who was the NYC secretary general in 2005, emphasised how deeply devastated she was on the structural issues and more so the inability of the youth to pave their way to glory.
Deputy youth minister Emma KantemaGaomas, for her part, reminded young leaders who are entrusted to lead the very important part of the population to position the NYC as a voice for the youth.
“Youth matters should not be partisan. Just like the status of education, the status of the unemployed youth is too serious a matter to be subject to partisans’ considerations,” she stated.
“The question is not whether we have a youth unemployment crisis. The question is what we are doing about it. I believe that we are blessed to have a president who is at the forefront in promoting young people in Namibia.” Kantema-Gaomas said the 2022/23 national budget has once again demonstrated commitment to the youth.
“Let us not focus on the allocation to the ministry; let us focus on the entire budget, which in my view is a youth-centred budget. If we take all allocations together, young people in Namibia have been big winners,” she noted.
Some of these allocations include to the higher education ministry, in particular through the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund, and tertiary and vocational training institutions.
It furthermore includes significant support for SME development, targeting in particular the unemployed youth.
“Provisions in the areas of youth entrepreneurship, expanding of technical and vocational training centres for enhanced skills development, upskilling of unemployed youth graduates and sustainable agriculture, manufacturing, renewable energy and tourism are all present,” she expanded.
“If ever young people needed to put their differences aside and embrace the diversity of their ingenious ideas and solutions, it is now. Time is now that the NYC has to transition to gear all its resources towards economic and employee empowerment initiatives.”