WALVIS BAY – Official opposition leader McHenry Venaani said Southern Africa is on the brink of a major political transformation, spurred by rising unemployment rates across the region.
Addressing a crowd at his party’s star rally at the Kuisebmond Stadium on Saturday, he said the rising unemployment figures are one of the key reasons the region is seeing a political regime
change.
He told the youth of his party to make sure that they do not vote against their empty stomachs but to use their votes for meaningful change in the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections on 27 November.
He highlighted the importance of this election, calling it “the most difficult” he has faced, and one that will largely be decided by young people.
“We stand here today, just 25 days away from a pivotal moment in our history – an election that presents us with an opportunity to reclaim our future. We witnessed a remarkable event across our borders in Botswana, where the opposition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by president-elect Duma Boko, decisively unseated a ruling party that had held power for close to sixty years,” he
said.
Venaani said this momentous shift does not just represent a distant inspiration, but a powerful testament to what is possible right here in Namibia.
He added that Namibians, too, can unseat the ruling party, and reclaim the country from the grip of patronage networks and cronyism that has permeated democracy.
He said the political shift seen in neighbouring countries reflects a growing demand for real leadership, not temporary solutions.
Similarly, South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, was recently forced into a coalition government, signalling a desire for stronger governance.
“Break the cycle of asking young people for 10 years of experience. Vote for your future, young people. Vote blue. When we vote blue, we can change our country,” the seasoned politician appealed.
He had a message for the ruling party: “They won’t be swayed by bread or T-shirts. They will vote wisely. The ruling party can forget about bribing people with food now. They’ll eat your food, wear your T-shirts, but vote with their heads”.
Venaani criticised the current government’s failure to address Namibia’s urgent socio-economic issues, pointing specifically to water scarcity, joblessness and corruption.
He stated that his party plans to allocate 10% of Namibia’s gross domestic product to agriculture, aligning with the Malabo Protocol to boost food security and create jobs.
“In the Erongo region, people have no water. Schoolchildren are leaving class to fetch water,” he said. “Namibia’s shoreline stretches from Lüderitz to Cape Fria, yet people close to the ocean still face water scarcity. This government’s leadership paralysis must end,” he declared.
To address water shortages, Venaani proposed desalination plants along the coast to provide clean, drinkable water to inland areas.
He noted that other desert nations, like Israel and Egypt, have successfully implemented irrigation projects, while Namibia still suffers.
He vowed to prioritise Namibia’s fishing sector, promising to reinstate fishermen to their jobs within the first 100 days of his administration.
“As long as fishermen remain stranded, the poor will stay poorer, while the rich get richer,” he asserted.
In addition to economic reforms, Venaani outlined his vision for healthcare.
“It’s only in Africa where our leaders fly abroad for healthcare, yet they expect citizens to rely on substandard services,” he said, citing countries like Morocco and Algeria as examples of successful universal healthcare.
He pledged to establish well-equipped clinics and hospitals across Namibia to ensure access to quality healthcare for all citizens.