Rudolf Gaiseb

The Parliament of Namibia, in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, held a training on leadership, mentorship, and communication for young parliamentarians in Windhoek recently.

The caucus brought together young members of Parliament from the National Assembly and the National Council to strengthen their leadership capacity, enhance communication skills, and promote effective mentorship in governance.

The training aimed to empower young MPs with the tools and knowledge needed to actively influence policy, drive sustainable development, and increase youth representation in parliamentary decision-making. National council member Suzan Ndjaleka highlighted that youth participation across our National Council and National Assembly is a significant growth area.

“This training is a direct response to what is imperative. In this training, we aim to equip our young MPs with enhanced leadership, mentorship, and communication skills to build capacity, to navigate the complexities of parliament, to forge stronger peer networks, and, of course, to become even more effective champions of our constituencies and for youth across Namibia,” she said.

“The relationships we build here and the skills that you acquire will be instrumental in strengthening not only your individual roles but also the very fabric of our parliament,” she added. Youngest parliamentarian Fenny Tujtavi emphasised that Namibia has a staggering youthful population of about 71.1% under the age of 35, a youth unemployment rate that stands at 44.4%, “but most importantly, behind these statistics lies the most youthful parliament in the history of the Republic of Namibia,” she noted.

“This signals that in the august house where the youth have a seat, where the issues that affect young people are, is exactly where they ought to be heard the loudest. By way of policy, advocacy, and influence, but also most importantly, by this I mean policies that affect young people,” she said.

Tutjavi reminded the members that, as young legislators, they carry the heavy responsibility of ensuring that the hopes and aspirations of young people seeking to improve their lives are not met by systems that do not reflect their realities.

“I call on us to ensure that where a young person is involved, we are not caught sleeping,” she shared. Overall, the training fostered interactive programmes and encouraged collaboration, experience-sharing, and networking among participants.

Additionally, the ‘I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament’ campaign was also launched, demonstrating conveners’ collective commitment to the cause.

-rgaiseb@nepc.com.na