AR targets youth vote

Affirmative Repositioning (AR) national spokesperson George Kambala says they will go into the forthcoming November elections targeting the youth vote after the party was registered as a political party by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) this week.

“We welcome the information wholeheartedly.

The process has been long, but finally young Namibians have a party for the youth, by the youth,” he says.
He said the movement has been busy since 2020 with a programme aimed at re-organising and formalising the movement.

Kambala says the party will not dwell on the past, looking back to the departures of former prominent members.

Some of these members include founder Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, former spokesperson Simon Amunime, Micheal Amusheleo and Pau Pau.

“All our efforts and programmes are now geared toward 27 November. The party has to make sure that all the young people get to register to gain a youth vote,” he says.

The ECN has written a letter to AR representative Maitjituavi Kavetu, granting the party approval.

“The commission has granted approval for your party’s registration,” the letter reads.
A source says the ECN is still to issue the party a certificate.
Earlier this month, the AR was accused of using voters’ signatures without their consent to improve its chances of being registered as a political party.
Meanwhile, political analyst Ben Mulongeni advised AR to not only focus on young people but all age groups.

“The nation you want to lead is faced with so many issues, ranging from concerns of farmers, LGBTQI+ communities, industry players, taxi businesses and so forth,” he says.

Mulongeni says even among the youth, the challenges they are faced with are not the same.
“Age groups have classes. Some youth are already millionaires, others are struggling. The rich ones can’t relate to what a normal young person is going through. There is nothing as a ‘youth interest’, it’s complex,” he says.

Mulongeni says the perception that the AR failed at the City of Windhoek is an irritating one.

“No coalition has ever worked. We have seen in the past how miserably it failed in Italy where they went months without a government. It’s not even guaranteed that the recently formed one in South Africa will last,” he says.

He labelled what happened at the City of Windhoek as mere sabotage and political immaturity.