A Zombie Council? Is the NYC Facing a Functional Death?

The slogan of the National Youth Council (NYC) of Namibia – ‘Youth Moving With the Nation’ – is inspiring.

It promises a generation actively participating in shaping Namibia’s future.

Yet, in the aftermath of its chaotic general assembly at Swakopmund in June, many young Namibians are asking if the youth council is fulfilling its mandate, or has it become an institution disconnected from the very people it was established to serve?

The unruly scenes witnessed during its most recent general assembly should concern every Namibian.

Reports of physical confrontations, injuries, the use of teargas, damaged property, and disputes about the voters’ roll paint a worrying picture of an institution under immense strain.

Instead of demonstrating democratic maturity and leadership, the assembly exposed deep divisions, organisational weaknesses, and an apparent crisis of confidence in its ranks.

This should not be dismissed as an isolated incident. Rather, it should serve as a moment of national reflection on the state and future of youth leadership in Namibia.

PURPOSE

The youth council was established to promote youth development, advocate for young people’s interests, coordinate youth programmes, and serve as a bridge between the government and the youth of Namibia.

Its purpose extends far beyond organising elections or convening assemblies. Its aim is to help prepare young Namibians to become future leaders in government, business, civil society, academia, and entrepreneurship.

Unfortunately, many young people no longer associate it with these developmental objectives.

Instead, public attention has increasingly shifted toward internal political contestation, leadership disputes, and recurring organisational instability.

Whether this perception is entirely fair or not, the council cannot afford to ignore it.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is not financial constraints or legislative limitations, it is the lack of a visible and structured leadership development pipeline.

Youth leadership should never be a permanent destination. It should be a stepping stone.

In successful democracies, youth institutions serve as leadership incubators.

Young people join these organisations to learn governance, policy development, ethical leadership, public administration, negotiation, and accountability before transitioning into broader national leadership roles.

New generations then take their place, creating a continuous cycle of renewal.

PERCEPTIONS

In Namibia, however, many young people perceive a different reality.

There is a growing belief that youth leadership positions have become highly contested because there are too few opportunities for meaningful progression beyond them.

Rather than serving as a stepping stone to national leadership, youth structures often appear to have become destinations in themselves.

This inevitably creates unhealthy competition, factionalism, and gatekeeping.

The problem is not that experienced youth leaders continue contributing to national development.

Experience is invaluable.

The concern arises when institutions deliberately fail to prepare and mentor emerging leaders who will eventually assume those responsibilities.
Leadership succession should never happen by accident. It should be intentional.

Namibia should not simply ask whether young people are ready to lead. Instead, we should ask whether our institutions are adequately preparing them to lead.

A functional youth council should create structured programmes where experienced leaders mentor younger members, transfer institutional knowledge, and gradually prepare them for greater responsibilities.

Leadership should resemble a relay race not an individual marathon.

One generation should confidently pass the baton to the next.
Without mentorship, succession becomes conflict-ridden. Without succession, competition becomes destructive.

Without opportunities for renewal, institutions stagnate. The events at Swakopmund demonstrated why succession planning matters.

ASPIRATIONS

Equally concerning is the apparent disconnect between the NYCs activities and the changing aspirations of Namibia’s youth.

Today’s young Namibians are increasingly concerned about unemployment, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, climate change, green hydrogen, logistics, industrialisation, education, and access to finance.

They want practical solutions that improve their livelihoods and expand opportunities.

The NYC should be leading these conversations.

It should be convening innovation forums, facilitating leadership academies, promoting entrepreneurship, connecting graduates with industry, supporting youth-owned businesses, advocating for digital skills, and influencing policies that directly affect young people’s futures.

Instead, public discourse surrounding the institution too often revolves around elections, disputes, procedural disagreements, and internal politics.
This is not the role envisioned for a national youth institution.

BEYOND WORDS

The slogan ‘Youth Moving With the Nation’ should represent more than words on official documents.

It should reflect measurable progress.

Are more young people participating in decision-making? Are more young entrepreneurs receiving support?
Are graduates finding meaningful opportunities? Are young innovators being connected to investment?

Are future ministers, governors, executives, academics, and business leaders emerging from the council’s programmes?
These are the questions that should define the youth council’s success.

TIME TO ADAPT?

Namibia does not need youth politics for its own sake. Namibia needs youth leadership that produces measurable national outcomes.

Perhaps it is time to change the slogan to something achievable, modern and inclusive – something like ‘Getting the Youth of Namibia Involved in Leadership and Decision Making’.

It should be a platform where Namibian youth voices are heard and their contributions are visible.
This is not a call to dismantle the youth council.

On the contrary, the institution remains important and necessary. Every country benefits from a strong platform that brings together the voices, aspirations, and ideas of its young citizens.

However, institutions remain relevant only when they continuously adapt to changing realities.

The NYC should embrace reforms that strengthen transparency, improve electoral processes, rebuild public confidence, and prioritise leadership development over internal political contestation.

It should become a respected academy for future national leaders rather than an arena associated with organisational disputes.

Namibia’s future depends on how effectively it prepares its young people for leadership.

That preparation cannot start when someone is appointed as a minister or chief executive officer.

It begins much earlier – through mentorship, responsibility, accountability, and through meaningful participation.

OPPORTUNITY

The events of June 2026 should be regarded as a wake-up call and should not merely be seen as a regrettable episode.

Namibia’s youth are not asking for leadership positions to be handed to them.

They are asking for opportunities to learn, to be mentored, to contribute, and to gradually assume greater responsibility as their capabilities develop.

The NYC has an opportunity to reclaim its purpose.

It must recommit itself to developing leaders rather than merely managing leadership contests, it can once again become an institution that genuinely reflects its founding vision.

Namibia’s young people are ready to move with the nation. Are the institutions established to lead them prepared to move forward?

– Hosea Shishiveni is a scholar and thought leader; hoseasn8@gmail.com

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