Ally Angula gains backing from Namibian youth in presidential race

Namibian Youth Empowerment, an organisation that also goes by the name Youth Power, says it is important to be involved in politics if one wants to do good.

Spokesperson Justice Shikongo said this during the announcement of support for independent presidential candidate Ally Angula in Windhoek yesterday.

He said that the alliance with Angula was sparked by a need to bring change to Namibia.

He added that Youth Power recognises its own principles in those of the former finance ministry deputy executive director.

“The president of Finland once said: ‘Small steps will no longer do, the biggest steps are made by those with bigger boots’, hence we have observed the similarities in our aims and objectives, which is to unite all of Namibia,” Shikongo said.

He added that the alliance will allow them to take steps to not only unite the people of Namibia, but also to hear their cries and try to solve some of the problems faced by Namibians.

Angula is running as a presidential candidate in the 2024 elections.

National Empowerment Fighting Corruption (NEFC) spokesperson Matheus Stefanus, also speaking at the alliance event, urged citizens to get their voter cards in order to vote.

“When we are educating the communities on voting, we urge them to go and get new voter cards. We are just waiting on the Electoral Commission of Namibia to announce the dates when they are going to issue the new voter cards,” Stefanus said.

He emphasised that citizens will not be allowed to vote without a valid voter card.

Regarding the principle of free education, Stefanus said there is a crisis in terms of education in that people are told it is free but somehow they end up spending more.

According to Stefanus, the free education system should be defined on paper and not only orally.

“We need free, education that indicates what is really meant by this term, is it free stationery or what? We really need to reform and create clear policies,” he said.

Also speaking at the event yesterday, Angula said children trading at the side of roads, not knowing whose door to knock on, are the ones politicians should be fighting for.

“We have to plead for the needs of the poor in this country… It is our responsibility to fight for those,” Angula said, adding that Namibians cannot feel like strangers in their own land. In a live broadcast in August 2023, Angula said many Namibians have been stripped of their dignity by not being provided proper housing, running water and electricity.

She said the government needs to look at how to restore the dignity of every Namibian and look into creating an economy that creates jobs.

“The only way we get people who can create a livelihood is if a person is actively and economically engaged in a job that pays not only the minimum wage but pays enough for a person to look after their family and themselves.”

She said her candidacy will focus on a Namibia that thinks of the future. She added that Namibia needs to look at handling natural resources differently in areas such as mining and fisheries.

According to Angula, her party will look at how Namibia can benefit from the oil and gas discoveries and become a country that “doesn’t get left behind”. “Our third pillar is focused on looking at how we don’t become the generation left behind on the benefits that come with the oil and gas discoveries.”

Angula said she is not a politician by background and she believes that playing politics with people’s lives has been going on for way too long. Because of this observation, she said she will not be making any promises to the people.

Her candidacy is focused on how every Namibian can be engaged, because she believes that everyone has the answers to the challenges faced by Namibians.

“… how do we get to contribute to this journey that we’re going on? I strongly believe we need to be a country that invests more in its people.”

According to Angula, Namibians live in a society that doesn’t enable its citizens to be economically inclined to take care of their families and themselves.

She said citizens need to foster an environment that can recognise that individuals are talented in different ways, but that everyone, regardless of differences, needs to be able to take care of themselves.

“If we live in a society where I want to do something and the opportunities and doors close on me, then whatever it is that I have learned (in the 12 years in school) I will not be able to actualise.”