Youth minister Agnes Tjongarero said the country’s young people cannot continue to be only job seekers, but must also become creators of employment and other opportunities.

She said this yesterday during the launch of the third National Youth Policy, under the theme “Mainstreaming Youth Development into the National Agenda”. Tjongarero called on various sectors to make a difference in the lives of the youth by investing in them to create opportunities for themselves to be on the steering wheel of their destiny, rather than being mere spectators.

She highlighted that the youth represents a rapidly growing segment of the country’s population, and it is thus important to strengthen enabling instruments for the youth to play a meaningful role in determining their futures and contributing to the country’s development.

“Today’s youth continue to face enormous socio-economic challenges due to, inter alia, adverse global conditions, limited business and employment prospects, limited access to credit lines and a narrow scope for market access, and now, at the current juncture, it is being compounded by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tjongarero noted.

The launched policy acts as an umbrella framework to guide the government as it steps up its work with and for young people across sectors including health and social welfare, education and skills training, economic empowerment and inclusion as well as civic and political participation.

It extends from 2020-2030, and according to the minister, gives the country 10 years to implement it. The implementation must, however, not be left to her ministry alone, but must be a cross-sectoral policy aimed at effecting positive youth development outcomes, she added.

At the same occasion, presidential advisor on youth matters Daisry Mathias said the premium placed on the development and empowerment of young people is beyond political rhetoric, but is rather a matter of sustainable development.

“Young Namibians will become the custodians of our social, economic and democratic governance infrastructure,” she stated, while inviting young Namibians to study, internalise and champion the policy, both as implementers and beneficiaries. -Nampa