Windhoek
Infighting and factionalism within the largest student movement in the country led to the Representative Council of the National Youth Council resolving to suspend Nanso – albeit on a temporary basis.
The representative council is the second highest decision-making body of the National Youth Council (NYC) and it has the power to suspend or reprimand any NYC members or affiliate organisations.
Although the chairperson of the representative council, Neville Itope, refused to comment on the matter yesterday, sources at Saturday’s meeting that took place in Nkurenkuru told New Era consensus was reached to suspend Nanso on an interim basis to enable the organisation afflicted by factionalism and inner strife to put its house in order.
Itope said a press conference would be convened today to make public the outcome of the meeting.
With NYC’s General Assembly slated for September, Nanso is expected to work around the clock to iron out its differences.
“Yes, the issue was part of the discussions and it was the view of the majority that Nanso must be given time to sort out its issues and challenges. Although people do not want to call it a suspension, in reality it is a suspension,” said the source.
The source said the convention established a six-member committee to look into the disunity within the student movement as well as aiding Nanso to return to its active student activism ways.
Although Nanso was only supposed to send one representative, both former and current SGs Sharonice Busch and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, respectively, were present at the meeting.
Nauyoma was elected to serve as secretary general of Nanso earlier this year, succeeding Busch. Nanso has been split into two factions after its elective convention at the end of February after some delegates claimed the elections were not conducted in a fair manner while some members of the previous leadership refused to embrace the new leadership.
Nanso president Wilhelm Wilhelm yesterday told New Era he is yet to receive a report from the Nanso representative who attended the council meeting.
“We also heard that we are suspended but that is just corridor gossip, we will wait and hear from our member who was present,” he said.
Soon after the Nanso congress, NYC executive chairperson Mandela Kapere said the cordial relationship enjoyed by the two organisations will not change and that he is ready to work with the new Nanso leadership.
“I do not anticipate the relationship between Nanso and NYC to change because of the congress. I have a good relationship with Wilhelem [newly-elected Nanso president] and we have done several good things together. I have a balanced approach on how I perform my duties and it will remain as such,” Kapere said at the time.