Air Namibia: SPYL blasts Swapo-led govt over liquidation

STAFF REPORTERWINDHOEKThe Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) wants Cabinet to reverse its decision on Air Namibia's liquidation and make hard calls on saving the airline rather than looking for an easy way out.SPYL said it has been engaging the leadership of both Swapo and government on the liquidation of the airline.“The militant wing has presented its case for the national airline not to be liquidated at the expense of white monopoly capital, yet we are aggrieved to see Cabinet going ahead with the liquidation. We maintain our ground that we do not agree with the liquidation of Air Namibia,” SPYL leader Efraim Nekongo said in a statement issued last week.The youth wing also questioned public enterprises minister Leon Jooste's purpose for “attempts to liquidate parastatals”.“The Swapo party manifesto directs for parastatals to be turned to profitability and not liquidation, hence we shall never agree with young Namibians being thrown out to the streets, leaving them financially distressed,” he said. Trouble in paradise?Some analysts hinted that SPYL's attack on the government led by Swapo is a sign of differences between the youth wing and the mother body.At a press conference last week, finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi said there is no split in ideology between the youth league and the Swapo-led government.According to Shiimi, government consulted SPYL about the matter.“The discussions continue and it is not fair to say there is a split in ideologies,” he said. SabotageMeanwhile, Khomas SPYL - under the leadership of Paulus Emmanuel - said there are efforts by new local entrants into the airline industry to clandestinely squash the national carrier for their own benefit.“We condemn these efforts in the strongest terms and urge these parties to exercise patriotism, while recognising the importance of a competitive environment in the airline industry which helps boost economic development,” Emmanuel said.He accused government of not being supportive of initiatives meant to save the airline but rather opting for the easy way out.“The airline is now facing imminent liquidation due to a lack of funds to settle with Challenge Air, facing grave consequences such as job losses of 636 employees of the airline, and the default of lease agreements of which the shareholder issued guarantees, resulting in the breach of these agreements should the airline be declared insolvent,” he said.He warned government opting to liquidate does not abdicate it [government] from taking responsibility for the guarantees given over the years.“The airline is seized with historical debt dating back as far as 23 years, backed by government guarantees, which will need to be serviced whether the airline is liquidated or not.“These results would be very costly to the government as shareholder as it would have to pay out severance packages to employees and cause an increase in the national unemployment rate, which is already so high at 34% as at 2018. And with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, this figure is expected to have drastically risen,” Emmanuel said.

Air Namibia: SPYL blasts Swapo-led govt over liquidation

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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Air Namibia: SPYL blasts Swapo-led govt over liquidation

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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