Isabel Bento

A wave of young candidates under the age of 35 has entered the race with the hope of reshaping the political sphere, as Namibians prepare for the upcoming local authority elections.

Among them are 24-year-old Julia Sem of Usakos, Swakopmund’s current 33-year-old deputy mayor Suama Kautondokwa, and 35-year-old Uis Village Council candidate Manuel Tourob.

For Sem, a first-time candidate representing the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), the decision to run for office is rooted in her own upbringing in a town where basic services have long been unreliable. 

“People think young leaders want power, but all I want is for every home to have water and electricity without struggling,” she said.

Her manifesto focuses on stabilising water supply, upgrading sanitation and ensuring consistent electricity for all households at Usakos.

“I plan to work closely with NamWater, Erongo RED and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to fast-track maintenance of ageing infrastructure and secure long-term agreements that guarantee consistent water provision. For the informal areas especially, I will advocate for more prepaid communal taps, regular waste removal, and upgrading of ablution facilities,” Sem expressed.

She added that youth unemployment has become a crisis requiring practical, hands-on solutions, and if elected, she intends to champion partnerships with vocational centres, mining companies and small businesses to create apprenticeships, short courses and incubation programmes.

She also wants youth cooperatives in recycling, urban farming and cleaning services to help young people generate income independently.

In Swakopmund, Kautondokwa, who will contest for the Swapo Party, is seeking re-election as deputy mayor with a focus on continuity and accelerated service delivery. 

In addressing the shortage of affordable housing and improving conditions in the informal settlements in the town, Kautondokwa said she plans to improve living conditions immediately while preparing long-term housing solutions.

“In the short term, we will expand water points, sanitation services, waste collection, and street lighting in informal settlements because safety and dignity cannot wait for formal housing.  For the long term, I will support public-private housing projects using affordable designs, serviced plots, and incremental building models that match the income levels of our residents,” she said.

Kautondokwa emphasised that youth leadership is not defined by age, but by urgency.  “Young people understand unemployment because many of us have lived it,” she noted. 

Her economic agenda includes expanding municipal apprenticeships, strengthening community works programmes and reserving a portion of procurement for youth-owned enterprises. 

Kautondokwa said she will promote transparency in the council by making decisions, budgets, and project updates easier for residents to access, both online and on physical notice boards. 

“We will publish simple summaries of major projects, timelines, and spending so that everyone can understand how money is being used and to ensure accountability. I will continue to host regular community meetings where residents, especially the youth, can engage directly. I also want us to introduce a robust public service-tracking system so that people can report issues and see when the municipality has responded,” she stated.

In Uis, which was recently re-proclaimed as a village council after years under settlement status, the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Tourob is campaigning on a vision that blends infrastructure development, administrative reform and long-term economic planning. 

The reinstatement grants Uis greater authority over land delivery, planning and development, responsibilities Tourob believes the next council must handle with care and competence.

Tourob described Uis as the “economic hub of Daures”, emphasising its strategic location at the foot of the Brandberg Mountain and its role as a gateway to the coast and Damaraland.

He said these geographic advantages, paired with the booming mining activities around the village, create a foundation for tourism expansion, service investments and new industries.

Among his key priorities is the revamping of water infrastructure, particularly in Tatamutsi and other informal areas affected by recurring shortages. Tourob calls for a comprehensive water audit, improved storage systems and the construction of additional pipelines to stabilise supply, as water reliability is essential for public health, business attraction and household dignity.

Housing and land reform is another core pillar of his plan, where he noted that Uis is experiencing population growth driven by the mining sector and believes the Council must urgently service land, accelerate plot allocations and collaborate with public and private developers to construct affordable housing. 

“The mining sector is bringing more people to Uis, but our housing stock is not growing with them. We need new houses, serviced plots and transparent land allocation,” he said.

He also supports transparent, fair land allocation systems to build public trust.
Tourob placed strong emphasis on strengthening the administrative machinery that will drive Uis’ transformation and insisted that the next Council recruit skilled and experienced staff, especially a service-oriented chief executive officer, to ensure that policies and resolutions are implemented without delay. 

“We cannot deliver anything without the right people in the right positions,” he said, stressing that the UDF will prioritise skills and experience in appointing administrators.

“Council resolutions mean nothing if they sit in a file. We need service-driven people who can execute, timeously,” said Tourob.

He further committed to broadening public participation by opening Council meetings to residents, establishing youth forums and hosting regular feedback sessions across the village. Tourob says these platforms will help align Council decisions with community priorities while promoting accountability.

His long-term vision, incorporated in his campaign slogan ‘Let’s build a town’, is to elevate Uis into a self-sustaining urban centre with diversified economic activity and institutions of higher learning that prepare youth for opportunities in mining, tourism and emerging sectors.

While acknowledging funding gaps common to village Councils, he argues that Uis must rely on investment attraction rather than burdening residents with higher tariffs.

Despite their different political affiliations and geographic locations, Sem, Kautondokwa and Tourob each outlined priorities centred on improving service delivery, enhancing transparency and strengthening community engagement within their respective local authorities. 

-Nampa