WINDHOEK - Independent presidential candidate Dr Panduleni Itula said if elected into power, his 12-member cabinet would comprise of 40 percent youth.

Itula also wants key decision-making positions in government structures and entities to be made up of 40 percent young people. 

Launching his election manifesto in Katutura at the weekend, Itula said the youth were the worst hit by unemployment, characterised by high levels of inequality. 
“This is aggravated by the fact that no specific tools and capacity have been cultivated to address this,” he said.

“Much of a greater problem is that those who claim to care for the youth under the guise of youthfulness representation do not have a slightest idea of what the youth want.  Nobody in the current political dispensation dared to ask, ‘what is the youth want, how the youth want it done and when the youth want it done’,” stated Itula.

The independent candidate said he would only appoint 12 ministers to his cabinet. 
 “Our first priority is to rid us of the incompetence of an administration soaked in corruption and cronyism by a reduction in ministries and public organisations not working at all,” Itula said.

Itula further intends to launch a major housing programme, saying qualifying Namibians would be allocated a piece of land to construct a place to call home. 

He said the country can borrow from the experience of other nations who have faced similar problems by using as necessary prefabricated housing and deploying the security forces to assist in construction. 
He said this should also help to build up a skills set among construction workers so that the sector does not become problematic in future.

Itula announced that he would not reside in the presidential State House if elected into power.
“I am happy to remain with my comrades, neighbours and friends in Katutura,” he remarked.
Itula said he would introduce a N$1 000 dual option direct government housing scheme, designed specifically to provide shelter and improve the standard of accommodation for the people in the so-called informal settlements.

 “When you do that, you have two choices, you can choose to buy your materials and we will get our young people from VTC, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers to come and build, while the government pays them directly…No middleman,” he shared. 

Itula stated they will introduce and enhance vocational education and verified job-seeker allowance. He said a lot of Namibian graduates do not have jobs and need to be given an allowance to sustain them while looking for a job. 

“Even if you live in Windhoek, going to town to hand in your CV you need taxi (fare) and needs someone to print out and photocopy documents.”

According to Itula, his intentions are to put Namibia on the right path and implement the necessary changes.

 “My appeal to Namibians, irrespective of your political persuasion, is to stop our slow sleepwalking into stagnation and bankruptcy by featherbedding the few. My mission is to redistribute our wealth more equitably and insert a new dynamism into our society, to involve us all in designing this new future by increasing the participation of us all in the political process; to provide communities with the means of contributing to decisions affecting their destiny,” said Itula.

Itula, who addressed a relatively well-attended rally in Walvis Bay yesterday, said he would not resign from Swapo despite the ruling party’s secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa indicating last week that he has ‘excommunicated’ himself from the party after being duly nominated as a presidential candidate.