Khorixas youth want development — let’s forget politics
As a born-free from Khorixas — a beautiful town in the southern part of the Kunene Region — I wish to see my hometown finally cater for its young people. This is not about comparing Khorixas with Oshakati, but about facing the reality we live in every day.
Recently, I was among fifty youths selected from the Kunene Region to attend a training facilitated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture under the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme.
During our stay at the National Youth Hostel in Oshakati, something simple but powerful stood out: just next door, the Oshakati Town Council runs a public swimming pool through a private operator.
After our long training days, that pool was our refuge from the intense northern heat.
While cooling off with fellow youths from Khorixas, a painful question kept coming up: “Why don’t we have something like this at home?”
Khorixas has potential, but the leadership must act
The truth is, there is nothing wrong with Khorixas. It is a town full of potential, talent, and ambitious young people. But our leadership seems out of touch with the community’s needs — especially the needs of its youth.
We have two swimming pools in Khorixas.
Two. Both larger than the one in Oshakati. Yet in all my life, I have never seen them used.
They stand abandoned, neglected, left to rot. Meanwhile, a single operational pool in Oshakati is buzzing with activity and even training young swimmers who may one day represent Namibia.
Why can’t we do the same?
Imagine if the Khorixas Town Council partnered with a private company to renovate and operate at least one pool. Even if the operator temporarily keeps all proceeds to recover renovation costs, it would still benefit the town. Alternatively, council could source funds from government or development partners. A functional swimming pool isn’t just a place to cool off — it can be a training centre, a community gathering space, a venue for family events, youth programmes, parties and more. It can even create jobs.
Youth need recreation, not just events
In Khorixas, the only recreational activities we can rely on are sports tournaments, talent shows and beauty pageants. These are good, but they are occasional. When nothing is happening, many youths end up at shebeens and bars — not because they want to, but because there is nowhere else to go.
Let’s be honest: alcohol and drugs won’t solve our problems, yet for many young people these places become the only refuge where they feel heard, where they speak freely without judgement or political labels. That alone shows how desperate the situation is.
Leaving the swimming pool issue aside — another concern is the lack of clothing shops (Style, Dunns, etc.) in Khorixas. Since finishing Grade 12 at Cornelius Goreseb High School and starting my first job as a cashier, I’ve watched my town remain without a single proper clothing store.
How does someone earning less than N$1,500 afford to travel to Outjo or Otjiwarongo just to buy clothes? Many youths still live with their families and must contribute to rent and food. Where will the extra money come from? How are we, decades after independence, still forced to leave our own town to buy necessities?
Forget politics and serve the people
To the local authority councillors — both UDF and SWAPO — please put politics aside and focus on developing our town. Khorixas has remained the same for far too long. Do not wait until our young people leave in desperation and only return home in coffins. Create opportunities here so that we, too, can grow, work, and live with dignity.
Be leaders who put young people first. Work with us to fight alcohol and drug abuse. Invest in recreational infrastructure, attract local businesses, revive abandoned facilities and make Khorixas a place where youths feel seen, valued and catered for.
Let 2026 be the year Khorixas finally listens to its youth.
— Clemans Miyanicwe is a former freelance journalist, events organiser, artist manager and volunteer at Khorixas Community Radio.
Recently, I was among fifty youths selected from the Kunene Region to attend a training facilitated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture under the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme.
During our stay at the National Youth Hostel in Oshakati, something simple but powerful stood out: just next door, the Oshakati Town Council runs a public swimming pool through a private operator.
After our long training days, that pool was our refuge from the intense northern heat.
While cooling off with fellow youths from Khorixas, a painful question kept coming up: “Why don’t we have something like this at home?”
Khorixas has potential, but the leadership must act
The truth is, there is nothing wrong with Khorixas. It is a town full of potential, talent, and ambitious young people. But our leadership seems out of touch with the community’s needs — especially the needs of its youth.
We have two swimming pools in Khorixas.
Two. Both larger than the one in Oshakati. Yet in all my life, I have never seen them used.
They stand abandoned, neglected, left to rot. Meanwhile, a single operational pool in Oshakati is buzzing with activity and even training young swimmers who may one day represent Namibia.
Why can’t we do the same?
Imagine if the Khorixas Town Council partnered with a private company to renovate and operate at least one pool. Even if the operator temporarily keeps all proceeds to recover renovation costs, it would still benefit the town. Alternatively, council could source funds from government or development partners. A functional swimming pool isn’t just a place to cool off — it can be a training centre, a community gathering space, a venue for family events, youth programmes, parties and more. It can even create jobs.
Youth need recreation, not just events
In Khorixas, the only recreational activities we can rely on are sports tournaments, talent shows and beauty pageants. These are good, but they are occasional. When nothing is happening, many youths end up at shebeens and bars — not because they want to, but because there is nowhere else to go.
Let’s be honest: alcohol and drugs won’t solve our problems, yet for many young people these places become the only refuge where they feel heard, where they speak freely without judgement or political labels. That alone shows how desperate the situation is.
Leaving the swimming pool issue aside — another concern is the lack of clothing shops (Style, Dunns, etc.) in Khorixas. Since finishing Grade 12 at Cornelius Goreseb High School and starting my first job as a cashier, I’ve watched my town remain without a single proper clothing store.
How does someone earning less than N$1,500 afford to travel to Outjo or Otjiwarongo just to buy clothes? Many youths still live with their families and must contribute to rent and food. Where will the extra money come from? How are we, decades after independence, still forced to leave our own town to buy necessities?
Forget politics and serve the people
To the local authority councillors — both UDF and SWAPO — please put politics aside and focus on developing our town. Khorixas has remained the same for far too long. Do not wait until our young people leave in desperation and only return home in coffins. Create opportunities here so that we, too, can grow, work, and live with dignity.
Be leaders who put young people first. Work with us to fight alcohol and drug abuse. Invest in recreational infrastructure, attract local businesses, revive abandoned facilities and make Khorixas a place where youths feel seen, valued and catered for.
Let 2026 be the year Khorixas finally listens to its youth.
— Clemans Miyanicwe is a former freelance journalist, events organiser, artist manager and volunteer at Khorixas Community Radio.
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