Africa-Press – Namibia. Joseph Kauandenge, president of the Association for Localised Interest (Asoli), has accused regional governors and various political actors of using the government’s National Youth Development Fund (NYDF) as a campaign tool ahead of this year’s regional and local authorities elections.
Kauandenge, a former Nudo secretary general who now heads Asoli, fears that opposition political parties and associations such as his could be disadvantaged by the “misinformation being spread by the regional governors and political actors.”
“The impression is created by many governors who are political appointees and not elected leaders, that their roles are very central to rolling out this initiative, which is factually wrong. The governors must be told in no uncertain terms that this is clearly not meant to be used as a campaign tool ahead of the regional and local authorities elections.
“They must be reminded that their roles are simply to forward these proposals to the various national funding bodies for assessment only,” said the veteran politician.
He continued: “The finance ministry must debunk this perceived notion by some governors that they will decide which projects will receive funding at the level of their offices. They must stop trying to hijack it. This is a good initiative aimed at empowering the youth, however, if it is turned into a political game by those entrusted with it, it will miss its targeted beneficiaries and become another failed government project.”
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced this year that a National Youth Development Fund will be created to empower youth-owned enterprises, start-ups, cooperatives and innovative projects, and that the finance ministry will inject a whopping N$257 million into the fund as starting capital.
The fund will offer loans at interest rates ranging from 2% to 4%, and loans range from N$60 000 to N$1 million. The repayment period is five years with a grace period of one year.
Apart from supporting youth-owned enterprises, start-ups and projects, the fund will also give priority to agriculture, agro-processing, green and eco-friendly initiatives, as well as manufacturing and value addition.
He said as much as he appreciates the fund’s purpose and the president’s intentions, he remains hugely concerned and has little trust in those entrusted with rolling it out.
“The finance ministry must come out strongly and clarify the set criteria and deadlines for the youth to apply because, as it stands, there is a lot of confusion around the deadlines as well. Failure to clarify this will throw the fund’s good intentions into a political hailstorm of perceived favouritism and nepotism, even before the official launch of the project.”
Asoli plans to contest in the local authority elections, targeting municipalities in the Khomas, Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Oshana regions. They are specifically gunning for seats in the Windhoek, Karibib, Swakopmund, Ongwediva and Otjiwarongo municipalities in the coming elections slated for 26 November 2025.
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