Africa-Press – Namibia. MCHENRY Venaani, the leader of the opposition Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has accused the ruling party, Swapo, of using the poor – especially young people – to cling to power.
“Swapo are using you to give them power so that they corrupt you more,” Venaani said on Saturday while addressing party supporters at Oshikango in the Ohangwena region. “It is time to make an appointment with November 2024,” he said in reference to the upcoming national elections.
Venaani said Namibian youths have the opportunity to right the wrongs done to them over the past 32 years, under the Swapo administration.
“The next election in 2024 will be determined by people younger than 35. The greatest decision-makers of the 2024 election are the young people. The power to change Namibia lies within your hands because the majority of the young people are the ones that are going to determine the change in 2024,” said the leader of the opposition in parliament.
“We are talking to the people of this country that we must make an appointment with change. We must make an appointment for November 2024 and the date that we are going to change this country forever. If we do not change Namibia in 2024, poverty and hunger will remain forever in our country,” said Venaani.
He stressed that the youth should be especially concerned due to the lack of economic opportunities in the country. “We used to say education is the greatest equaliser. However, young people go to school to equalise, but when they come back they don’t get jobs in Namibia. The children of the super-rich and those who are well-connected are becoming millionaires every day. But when the poor youth finish school, they don’t get jobs. Even those who are educated are not getting jobs,” he said.
“We need to change. We can no longer allow the government that has been stealing from the people of this country. All the corruption in this country is taking away from you as young people of this country.”
Venaani called on the young people to learn from their counterparts in Malawi, Zambia and Lesotho, who he said voted for change.
“[Across] the whole of southern Africa, there is a wind of change blowing. And, this wind of change is being midwifed by young people. If you young people don’t stay together and fight for change, then Namibia will go to the dogs,” he said.
After his address, Venaani led the supporters through the Shipwatapwata informal settlement, where he reiterated PDM’s one family, one plot policy.
“Every Namibia must own a plot because we believe that’s the economic basis to give equity in the hands of the poor,” he said.
Venaani was in the northern region as part of the PDM mobilisation campaign ahead of the elections and was accompanied by senior party leaders, including parliamentarians Nico Smit, Winnie Moongo and Hidipo Hamata.
They stopped over at Oshikango on their final leg of this year’s political campaign, with the last rally held yesterday at Chinchimani in the Sibbinda constituency of the Zambezi region.
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