Renthia Kaimbi
Competing narratives have emerged from the National Youth Council’s (NYC) general assembly that descended into chaos on Saturday in Swakopmund, suggesting back-door deals and lawful processes under threat from political interference.
The assembly left nine delegates injured , forced the electoral committee to resign immediately after citing safety concerns, and effectively wasted an estimated N$2 million in public funds as the process was indefinitely suspended.
The meeting, which convened on Friday to elect leadership for the next four years, was meant to conclude today.
Instead, it has become a symbol of institutional failure, exposing competing narratives of back-door deals, political manipulation, and unresolved governance disputes that have plagued the council for years.
The allegations, on one hand, surround Simon Taapopi’s eligibility for the council’s executive chairmanship after allegedly unfairly using NYC resources to campaign, and on the other, political interference following Ester Simon’s endorsement as sole candidate for the same position.
Newly surfaced documents reveal that Taapopi, as former NYC board member and chairperson of the human resources, remuneration, and ethics committee, allegedly orchestrated the controversial reappointment of a staff member in exchange for campaign support.
According to sources and documents seen by the Windhoek Observer, an arrangement was made between Taapopi and Uhuru Dempers, an alleged close family friend of Ndeshipanda Shaamena, a human capital officer at the NYC whose fixed-term contract had ended on 31 December 2023.
Under the alleged deal, Taapopi undertook to facilitate Shaamena’s return to the council, while Dempers would assist in securing support from church affiliates for Taapopi’s campaign to become executive chairperson at Rietfontein in December 2024.
The youth ministry recently confirmed that they allegedly engaged Dempers as an independent consultant to provide advisory, support and facilitation services related to the reform, restructuring and repositioning of the NYC, presumably since October 2025.
It did not clarify which relevant laws necessitated the handpicking of an independent consultant, or whether the minister obtained an exemption from the ministry of finance for the emergency procurement of Dempers’s services.
However, on 2 September 2024, the NYC board resolved that the human resources committee should ensure Shaamena’s reinstatement.
Two days later, the committee chaired by Taapopi recommended her permanent reappointment effective 1 September 2024. A settlement agreement was signed on 9 September 2024, and by 18 September, an alleged back payment of N$338,134.74 had been processed.
The documents indicate that Shaamena was appointed despite allegations she did not meet minimum requirements for the position. Further concerns had been raised about her grading. The position is reportedly graded at C3, yet she was appointed at Grade C5 with a higher remuneration package.
The back payment allegedly included an additional salary increment backdated to 1 April 2024 and was sanctioned contrary to a legal opinion sought by the then executive chairperson, Sharonice Busch.
During the same year, regional coordinators’ contracts were allegedly converted from fixed-term to permanent contracts and their salaries significantly increased to secure their political support ahead of the 2024 general assembly.
Additionally, potential delegates were allegedly mobilised through civic education programmes and youth meetings, receiving allowances of between N$1 000 and N$2 500 to influence voting outcomes during the general assembly that was supposed to take place at Rietfontein in December 2024.
A total of 51 affiliates of the youth council gathered at Rietfontein in December 2024, electing Taapopi as executive chairperson, alongside Ester Simon, Luciano Kambala, Veparura Kandirikira, Yolande Sabatta, and Melinda Mogotsi as the NYC’s board members.
Former youth minister Agnes Tjongarero subsequently dissolved the entire NYC board over allegations of misconduct, dishonesty, and mismanagement of funds for defying a directive to not proceed with the general assembly at Rietfontein.
Tjongarero then appointed an interim board for six months, which she left in place when her term as minister came to an end in March 2025.
Following the appointment of youth minister Sanet Steenkamp, it is further alleged that disputed election guidelines and other irregularities, including the need to restructure structures at constituency level, were reported to Steenkamp by Tjongarero’s interim board but were ignored.
Steenkamp instead, defied a court ordered settlement agreement and appointed her own interim board in October 2025.
The former interim board later took Steenkamp to court in December 2025, claiming that she had violated a settlement agreement by appointing a new interim board.
According to the applicants, the minister had agreed that they (Tjongarero’s interim board) would stay in place until a general assembly elected a new board.
While these allegations paint a picture of internal manoeuvring, a separate petition submitted to Steenkamp on 20 June 2026 offers a contrasting perspective, framing the council’s troubles as a struggle between lawful process and external, political interference.
The petitioners, supporting Taapopi’s candidacy, argue that the general assembly conducted its proceedings in accordance with the National Youth Council Act 3 of 2009, and that the delegate list was duly adopted on the first day.
However, they report that delegates were being subjected to threats, coercion, and pressure, allegedly by members of parliament and the Swapo Party Youth League, aimed at halting the now-suspended electoral process, including warnings that accommodation would be withdrawn should they decline to support postponement.
The Windhoek Observer on Saturday reported that Steenkamp was allegedly under pressure [“from her superiors”] to either postpone the general assembly, thereby extending the term of the interim board, or to convince Taapopi to withdraw from the executive chairmanship race against Simon.
The minister maintained that the legitimacy of the general assembly depends on a lawful, transparent, and credible process, and has tasked the interim board led by Patience Masua with addressing outstanding issues.
The cost of the assembly, estimated at N$2 million, has become a focal point of public outrage, with critics questioning how such a significant expenditure could result in such a chaotic and inconclusive outcome.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah has observed that the NYC has become increasingly influenced by political networks, creating a culture where loyalty often takes precedence over merit and service delivery.
“Swapo, you are killing the ideals that many have fought and died for. The National Youth Council (NYC) was established as a neutral institution to promote youth participation, empowerment, and development. However, from its inception, it has increasingly been influenced by Swapo through structures such as the Swapo Youth League and Swapo-affiliated NANSO,” he stated.
Kamwanyah further stated that as a result, the NYC has become deeply politicised, much like many of Namibia’s parastatals and public institutions, adding that this politicisation has weakened the independence of institutions that should serve all people, regardless of political affiliation.
“Much of Namibia’s current institutional paralysis can be traced back to this trend: the erosion of independent, professional, and accountable public bodies. If we are serious about national development, we must depoliticise our institutions and restore their original purpose – serving the public, not political interests. I am wondering why the party that fought the whole liberation struggle is now fighting against its liberation struggle ideals?” Kamwanyah asked.
Leader of the official opposition, Immanuel Nashinge, has condemned the events in Swakopmund as a blatant case of political interference by the ruling party and its administration in a publicly funded institution.
He argued that the council’s leadership should be decided by its legitimate delegates, not imposed by a political party operating through government ministers, members of parliament, and state machinery.
“If the majority of delegates have already spoken, where over 200 attended Simon Taapopi’s manifesto launch and voted against postponement, why keep imposing your stooge on the youth?” Nashinge questioned.
Reiterating his stance, Nashinge maintained that if the NYC cannot be permitted to operate free from political manipulation, it should be shut down entirely and reduced to a mere desk office within the National Youth Service.
