EDITORIAL: Does Namibia still need the National Youth Council?

Government must seriously pause and reflect on the viability, relevance and overall necessity of the National Youth Council (NYC).

For an institution established to champion the interests of young Namibians, NYC has become known for almost everything except youth development.

Whenever the council makes headlines, it is about the endless cycle of suspensions, court battles, boardroom wars, political infighting and governance controversies.

One year, the executive director is suspended. The next, a dismissed board drags the minister to court demanding reinstatement. At other times, attention shifts to reports of six-figure salaries, disputes over benefits or legal claims running into millions of dollars.

These have become the defining narratives of the institution. Therefore, what exactly does NYC do, and for whom?

More importantly, what measurable impact has it had on the lives of the young people it was created to serve? These are not unreasonable questions. 

Many Namibians would struggle to point to a single flagship programme or intervention that has significantly transformed the prospects of the country's youth. Yet they can readily recall the endless controversies that seem to engulf the institution.

At the same time, the existence of both the NYC and the National Youth Service (NYS) raises legitimate questions about duplication. Unlike the NYC, the NYS has a visible footprint. Its activities can be seen, measured and defended. It trains young people, equips them with practical skills and contributes directly to national development.

What, then, is the unique value proposition of NYC? Increasingly, the council appears more like an arena for political contestation. The scenes witnessed in Swakopmund over the weekend, where internal battles turned chaotic and left nine people injured, reinforced perceptions that youth structures are becoming staging grounds for factional battles ahead of future political contests.

Young people deserve better.