Renthia Kaimbi
The National Youth Council (NYC) is facing a deep crisis with affiliates.
The council describes it as dysfunctional and inward-looking.
The council, which was created to unite and empower young people, is now widely seen as having been consumed by internal disputes, financial mismanagement, and a failure to carry out its mandate. These concerns are echoed by youth structures and lawmakers.
Former member of parliament and Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) secretary for legal affairs, Maximilliant Katjimune, tabled a motion in June 2024 calling for the NYC to be dissolved and absorbed into the National Youth Service.
He said the council is beyond repair.
“The situation at NYC is untenable. The organisation is on its knees and dysfunctional,” Katjimune told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.
He said a merger is necessary to address the duplication of responsibilities, programmes, resources and overlapping policies between the institutions.
He added that the NYC is weakened by administrative and political factionalism and is unable to effectively manage its own affairs.
Katjimune’s motion cites an ongoing ministerial investigation into corruption and mismanagement, the collapse of two annual representative council meetings due to infighting, and the failure of the NYC to submit audited financial reports for the past three years.
“It must rather be merged as a department under the NYS, which is better administered,” he said.
Katjimune said affiliates have been the biggest victims of infighting within the NYC. He stated that the instability of the organisation prevents the council from advancing the youth agenda.
Affiliates of the council say the instability has had serious consequences.
Duminga Ndala, lead for the Youth Command Element of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), said, “The current state of the NYC is deeply concerning. A prolonged leadership vacuum, persistent infighting, and ongoing legal battles have severely undermined the credibility and functionality of the institution.”
She said young people are losing trust and confidence in an institution that was meant to improve their living conditions.
Ndala stated that the crisis has significantly impacted affiliates, resulting in limited access to funding, programmes and decision-making platforms.
Ndala called for reform. She urged the resolution of legal disputes, the restoration of credible leadership and stronger governance through a General Assembly to elect a substantive board.
“The ministry has both a statutory oversight role and a moral obligation to intervene constructively,” she said, calling for independent mediation and strict adherence to the NYC Act.
Ndala said the appointment of an interim board has failed to stabilise the council. She said its work has been weakened by the resignation of its chairperson and limited support from affiliates.
A representative of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) also raised concern about the leadership vacuum at the NYC. The representative questioned the absence of both a board chairperson and a director.
“It is quite risky for an institution to run without an administrative head, even just for a day,” the representative said, adding that expectations of progress under a new leadership had not been met.
The representative called on line minister Sanet Steenkamp to act on existing legal agreements.
“The Minister of Youth must implement the settlement agreement pertaining to the National Youth Council, as agreed upon before the High Court of Namibia,” they said, stressing that decisions must be taken “within the prisms of the law.”
They warned that the NYC risks drifting from its original purpose and said current interventions may not align with its founding intent.
On the interim board, the representative said the council’s problems existed long before its appointment and need a wider solution.
“A seed cannot grow in a hazardous environment,” they said, calling for broader consultations with all stakeholders.
They said the growing detachment from affiliates has stalled the youth agenda and described the situation as a deferred vision.
They added that the NYC was established to nurture young people and criticised what they see as elitist qualification requirements that exclude broader youth participation.
