OUTAPI – Minister of Justice, Sacky Shanghala, has heeded the call of the youth for ageing politicians and individuals in key leadership positions to pave the way for young Namibians to take over.
Opening the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Regional Executive Committee meeting in Omusati over the weekend, Shanghala pleaded with ageing politicians to prepare the young and let go of positions in the party. In the same vein, he challenged the youth to stand for party positions at district, branch and section levels, as 70 and 80-year-olds can no longer continue to hold positions.
“I do not think there is anyone born knowing that they will be the president of any country. No one was sent to minister school to become minister of justice. Yet here we are. Are we wrecking the country? I challenge any one on that score,” Shanghala stressed.
“Therefore, we should be given the opportunity to stand [for] positions in the party and in society at large and from there, prepare ourselves for the next responsibilities in society, gradually. Truly, how can we be competent if we are not prepared? Give us the opportunity. Yet it is also incumbent upon us to make distinction between child’s play and serious work,” he said.
Speaking fondly about youth empowerment, Shanghala said it is also time that government starts to fund students without expecting payment in return, pointing out that payment should only apply to students specialising in courses deemed not important and those studying abroad for courses offered at Namibian institutions.
“I want to agree with you that it should be the last time that we have issues about paying for young Namibians to study. If we can do one thing to ensure that we prepare the future appropriately, it is to ensure that resources are mobilised, and those students who have passed are paid for to study their preferred courses,” determines Shanghala.
The focus now, according to Shanghala, should be to restructure the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
Regarding the upcoming elections, the minister called on Swapo Party members to go out and mobilise people to go to the polls and vote right by voting for Swapo.
He joined the call against factionalism, and asked party members to unite and fight for a common cause to win the upcoming national elections slated for November.