2015-08-25Staff Report 2 Ongwediva The DTA regional coordinator in Ohangwena Region, Hidipo Hamata, as well as the party’s current youth secretary general (SG) Benson Katjirijova, are two of the several candidates to contest the party’s youth league SG position. Katjirijova has been heading the youth wing since 2012. The election is scheduled to take place at the DTA national youth league congress on September 11-13 in Windhoek. A DTA insider said Immanunel Shikongo, who defected to the DTA this year from the weakened Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), will also partake in the contest. Shikongo was the RDP party regional coordinator for Omusati Region. The DTA’s youngest MP Vipuakuje Muharukua, whose name is in the mix, would not deny nor confirm his candidacy. Muharukua said he was more worried about getting a leader for the youth that will address the youths’ plight and build a concrete youth leadership for the country and for the party. “If I am to contend it would come out, but not here. We have a structure of disseminating information and an authorised person for that. I am not interested in who is participating, but I don’t like ‘inside sources’ within the party,” said Muharukua. Katjirijova however denied allegations that the DTA youth wing has been dysfunctional. He said that perhaps the DTA youth wing has been silenced “by the youth being at times too preoccupied about a multiplicity of youth issues”. “We are vocal, but maybe it is the system that is trying to kill us,” said Katjirijova. 2015-08-25Staff Report 2
