Former Miss Namibia reveals ambitions to become president

Miss Namibia 2022 Cassia Sharpley (23) says she would run in Namibia’s presidential election.

This is despite the Namibian Constitution putting the age limit of prospective presidential candidates at 35.

Sharpley is not eligible to be a candidate in Namibia’s seventh presidential election in November, when a new president and new members of the National Assembly will be voted into power.

On 1 January, Sharpley, on her social media page, requested social media users to subscribe to her YouTube page, where she said she would be sharing her journey towards becoming Namibian president as an independent candidate.

She said she wants to become a presidential candidate “on the grounds of equality, justice and accelerated growth”.

AGE LIMIT

A social media user asked Sharpley, who is the daughter of Swapo member Marson Sharpley, whether she knew that the Constitution puts the age limit of prospective presidential candidates at 35.

Her father commented: “Cassia is schooled. Well schooled in politics. I am sure she knows what she is up to.”

She told The Namibian yesterday that Namibia is seen as a country of great potential, wealth and opportunity.

“I don’t have confidence in my potential to win, I have confidence in the influence I have as a young woman of a country that needs a paradigm shift towards transformational change,” she said.

She said that there is a wide gap of misunderstanding between the youth and the generation before the youth.

“We have the resources, we have the people, but we have no sense of urgency towards investment and creating job opportunities for the generation that understands what it means to accelerate towards success in the world we live in today,” she said.

The former Miss Namibia said it makes no sense for Namibia, a country of 2,6 million, to have 43,3% of its people living in poverty.

“Namibia lacks nothing but proper management and leadership that aims and strives to obtain the status and reality of being known as a country of wealth and great potential,” she said.

PROMISES

Sharpley said if elected into power, she would involve the youth in projects that can help with the advancement of the country without exploitation.

She added that she would motivate investment offers that will improve the rate of unemployment and access to information, quality healthcare and education that aims to empower the generation that will be in charge of the overall growth and advancement of the country.

“Consider this as my campaign launch. I would like to add, let us as the youth familiarise ourselves with the Constitution and filter our information accordingly. My campaign will be running as from the 7th of January 2024 and will be aired consecutively through my podcast ‘unfiltered’ that will have weekly updates,” she said.

Asked whether she is aware of the constitutional provision that she needs to be 35 years for her to qualify as a presidential candidate, Cassia Sharpley said:

“I need to be 35 to enter. Let that sink in and familiarise yourself on what exactly I am campaigning for and when exactly that campaign will work in my favour.”

In a video clip shared on social media, the former Miss Namibia said Namibians are not facing unemployment because there are no jobs, but because they are lazy.

She added that Namibians lack a sense of humanity and consideration. “No kindness. It’s all gone. We have lost our humanity and because of that we are losing our peace,” she said.

SERIOUS INSTITUTION

Political analyst Rui Tyitende said the presidency is a serious and demanding institution and cannot be equated with beauty pageants and show businesses such as ‘The Kardashians’ or ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ or Durban.

Tyitende said it could be that Cassia Sharpley made running for president one of her new year’s resolutions and opted to take a chance.

He added that the country is currently facing a litany of socio-economic challenges.

“Delusions and daydreamers are not what the country needs now. More importantly, is she aware about the constitutional age limits? If not, that is a clear indication of how uninformed and ill informed she is,” Tyitende said.