By John Ekongo
WINDHOEK
All candidates except one, that are understood to be vying for the position of Secretary General of the National Youth Council, have come out in public regarding the vacant post.
Former youth officer, Sydney !Ganeb, currently studying in South Africa is the only candidate who confirmed to New Era that he has no real interest in the position.
“My studies take centre stage at this point, so I am not running,” revealed !Ganeb in a telephone interview.
Whilst !Ganeb is not running, the other candidates Algerian-based youth activist Mandela Kapere, Veiko Nekundi and Julius Nyerere Namoloh have noted that “as individuals” they no interest in the position but will consider applying for the position if approached by the SWAPO Party Youth league or any other organisation.
“All I can say on record is that I am a member of three organisations affiliated to the National Youth Council and these are the SWAPO Party Youth League, NANSO and the Young Peoples Division of the African Methodist Church (AME-YPD), and I have a close association with the Erongo Regional Youth Forum. None of them have approached me to serve, so no, I am not standing.
Should I be approached by the SWAPO Party Youth League, I will be strongly inclined to consider such a proposition seriously,” announced Kapere.
Namoloh, currently the Senior Accountant at the NYC, echoed similar sentiments.
“If people ask me and nominate me, of course I will consider to stand for the position. If any entity feels that I am competent enough, I will take up the challenge for the position,” said Namoloh.
He was quick to point out that preferably, he would like the endorsement of his nomination to emanate from the SPYL.
“Preferably, but not necessarily, any organisation in the structure if it feels that they want me, it is fine with me,” said Namoloh.
Namoloh’s situation is precarious in the sense that if elected, he would have to relinquish his position as a senior accountant.
Concern has been raised about Namoloh’s situation, but he assured New Era that it is not the first time this has happened. Namoloh said that if he gets to act until the General Youth Assembly (GYA), they would have to hire someone to take care of the finance division in close consultation with the SG.
In 2005, Namoloh acted briefly in the position. However, this time if the same scenario repeats itself, Namoloh will have to act for a longer period, as the GYA is only expected to meet in December 2009.
Nekundi, employed with the City of Windhoek at the Community Development Division, has also indicated that he will only stand if the SPYL nominates him.
Nekundi, the current Secretary for Economic Affairs of the SPYL, said, “I would consider the position if the party wants me to take over the position. I don’t have a problem with that, but it should come from the structures,” said Nekundi.
The structure Nekundi is referring to is the SPYL, which is also affiliated to the NYC.
The NYC has a variety of affiliated organisations, ranging from youth groups, youth forums, church-based youth organisations, local chapters of international youth groups such as the Young Christian Women’s Association (YCWA) and also political youth organisations such as the youth leagues of various parties.
Approached for comment, SPYL-SG Elijah Ngurare said the SPYL cannot make any pronouncement on the issue at this stage. He said procedurally, the NYC’s outgoing SG would have to initiate correspondence and only then will the youth league identify a candidate within its ranks.
“There are procedures to be followed and procedurally it must first come from the NYC to the youth league, requesting for our position – only then will we avail ourselves,” he said.
Outgoing SG of the NYC Juliet Kavetuna has not initiated the correspondence yet.
“I am still to write that letter and currently, it is just names that are coming in and going out,” said Kavetuna in reference to candidates whose names are being speculated for the position.
The General Youth Assembly, the highest decision-making organ in the NYC, is likely to sit next year in December.
However, the time might be cut short if the National Youth Council Bill still to be tabled in Parliament comes into effect. Should that happen, an Extraordinary General Youth Assembly will be summoned. All this depends on the Bill being signed into an Act before December 2009.
Should this happen, it means that the National Youth Council will dissolve and re-establish itself as an entity established under an Act of Parliament and not a Cabinet resolution, as is the case presently.