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September 2026
Windhoek Observer
Ephraim Nekongowarned thatdelays in constituting commission could slow land acquisition and resettlement decisions
Source
“Swapo Party member of parliament Ephraim Nekongo warned that delays in constituting the commission could slow land acquisition and resettlement decisions.”
Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongoemphasized that compulsory national service could equip young people with practical skills and help address unemployment, but warned thatNYS would need more resources before expansion
Source
“Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo emphasized that compulsory national service could equip young people with practical skills and help address unemployment, but warned that the NYS would need more resources before it could be expanded.”
Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongosays the SPYL opposesany activity that could harm Namibia's marine ecosystem and fishing industry
Source
“Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) secretary Ephraim Nekongo says the youth league supports Zaamwani's move. Nekongo says the SPYL opposes any activity that could harm Namibia's marine ecosystem and fishing industry.”
SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongosaidthe initiative was a progressive step for consistency and transparency
Source
“SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo on Saturday said the initiative was a progressive step that could bring greater consistency and transparency to admission requirements while aligning Namibia's higher education system with international standards.”
Nekongois calling forfull implementation to be deferred to 2028
Source
“He is calling for full implementation to be deferred to 2028, saying the additional year would allow for proper orientation, updating of application materials and academic and emotional preparation of affected pupils.”
SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongosaysenvironmental decisions should not be left solely to administrative officials
Source
“SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo says environmental decisions should not be left solely to administrative officials and ministers must oversee decisions made within their ministries.”
Members of parliament have called for tighter financial and administrative oversight of Namibia's land reform programme, citing weaknesses in resource management and pointing to an adverse audit opinion on the Land Acquisition and Development Fund for the year ended 31 March 2025, which included approximately N$24.4 million in land-tax income recognition errors and N$11 million in overstated receivables.
Members of parliament have called for tighter financial and administrative oversight of Namibia's land reform programme, citing weaknesses in resource management and pointing to an adverse audit opinion on the Land Acquisition and Development Fund for the year ended 31 March 2025, which included approximately N$24.4 million in land-tax income recognition errors and N$11 million in overstated receivables.
An opinion column criticizes a proposed compulsory national service policy for post-puberty citizens, questioning whether it is driven by genuine patriotism or merely control, and warns against conflating patriotism with uncritical obedience to state leadership based on examples from other African countries.
Education minister Sanet Steenkamp said the National Youth Service should measure success beyond recruitment and training figures, tracking how many former recruits pursue further education, secure employment, or contribute to their communities. The call comes as demand for NYS programmes grows, with about 18,000 young people applying for the 17th intake this year.
Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo has backed a government proposal for compulsory national service, arguing it could promote discipline, patriotism, and practical skills to combat youth unemployment. He notes the programme would require additional government funding to expand effectively.
A presidential directive requiring senior public servants to use state health facilities instead of private ones took effect 1 April, but several parliamentarians have opposed it, citing shortages of equipment, medicines, and staff in public hospitals. The president has not visited a hospital under the directive, saying she remains in good health.
The Swapo Party Youth League has called on the City of Windhoek and local authorities to stop evicting street vendors and instead create designated trading spaces where they can work legally. The league says street vending is vital income for thousands of Namibian families, particularly young people, women and low-income households, and urged authorities to move toward formalisation and integration of informal trading rather than enforcement-centred approaches.
Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani has appealed against the environmental commissioner's decision to grant an environmental clearance certificate to Namibian Marine Phosphate for the Sandpiper marine phosphate mining project, appealing against the decision in its entirety and all conditions in the certificate.
The Swapo Party Youth League has welcomed the Ministry of Education's new standardised admission point scale for higher education but wants its implementation delayed by a year from 2027 to allow pupils, teachers and schools more time to adjust. The system will calculate admission points using a pupil's best five subjects with English compulsory and applies to multiple qualifications including Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate and International Baccalaureate.
The Swapo Party Youth League wants the Cabinet to oversee environmental clearance decisions, arguing that ministers must supervise decisions within their ministries. Critics including former Cabinet minister Helmut Angula warn that Cabinet involvement could politicise the process and that administrators should remain responsible for ECC applications.
The SWAPO Party Youth League has renewed its opposition to phosphate mining in Namibia, calling for the Environmental Clearance Certificate to be reviewed and set aside, citing risks to the fishing industry (which contributes 4.1% to GDP and employs about 19,440 people) and concerns about habitat destruction, water pollution, and radioactive waste generation.
The Swapo Party Youth League has called for the environmental clearance certificate granted to Namibian Marine Phosphate to be reviewed and set aside, citing concerns that the project could threaten Namibia's fishing industry and marine environment through pollution and habitat damage.
SWAPO Party Youth League Secretary Ephraim Nekongo has welcomed progress toward reviving Namibia's national airline, citing the handover of licences, acquisition of aircraft, and a scheduled first flight in the first week of December as evidence that lessons from past failures have been drawn.
Opposition leader Panduleni Itula called on the president to dissolve the National Assembly, arguing parliament has been ineffective and slow in lawmaking since 2025; lawmakers rejected the proposal, saying parliament's shortcomings do not justify fresh elections.
The SWAPO Party Youth League distanced itself from violent scenes at the National Youth Council General Assembly in Swakopmund on 21 June, which left at least nine delegates injured and prompted an indefinite postponement. SPYL said it had repeatedly raised unresolved concerns with the NYC administration and Ministry of Education about affiliate participation, bogus delegates, and legal compliance violations, but these issues were not adequately addressed.
The Swapo Party Youth League calls on young Namibians to become ambassadors of education and contribute to national development on the Day of the African Child, citing Namibia's progress in expanding educational access since independence while noting remaining challenges in quality education and digital literacy for rural and marginalised communities.
The SWAPO Party Youth League regional executive committee in Kavango East suspended regional secretary Bibiana Shapi pending investigation into allegations that she undermined the committee's authority and unity by participating in efforts to remove elected members. Shapi rejected the suspension as unconstitutional and politically motivated, amid preparations for an extraordinary regional conference to fill a vacant position.
Prime minister Elijah Ngurare publicly supports president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah serving a second term, arguing that previous elected presidents served more than one term and that premature succession debates distract from government service delivery. Swapo's elective congress to choose a presidential candidate for the 2029 elections is expected next year.
Swapo member of parliament James Uerikua, 43, died in a road accident between Otjiwarongo and Okakarara in the Otjozondjupa region while travelling with his family. Colleagues remembered him as a fearless, articulate debater who brought intellect and humour to parliamentary discourse and strengthened national security and international cooperation.
Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo says discussions about leadership succession ahead of the party's 2027 congress are premature, as the party is still completing internal renewal processes at grassroots level before national leadership decisions are made.
Members of parliament have raised concerns that the recently tabled 2026/27 budget, which allocates N$81.3 billion to operational expenditure and only N$6.5 billion to development spending, fails to adequately address youth unemployment and lacks a credible plan for job creation. IPC parliamentarian Michael Mwashindange argued that the fiscal framework prioritises recurring operational costs over strategic investments, while rising debt payments and interest costs continue to crowd out productive investments needed to stimulate employment.
Minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi has said he will not contest for the Swapo secretary general position or any of the party's top four posts at the 2027 party congress. The announcement comes amid speculation about potential candidates for the party's leadership race, including Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare and SPYL leader Ephraim Nekongo.
Joseph Kauandenge, president of the Association of Localised Interests, has accused Swapo of using its parliamentary majority to rush legislation without proper debate or public input, resulting in bills that fail legal scrutiny. Swapo's youth league secretary Ephraim Nekongo disputed this, stating that the party has proper review processes and engages in parliamentary discussion before passing laws.
Namibia's Ministry of International Relations and Trade, alongside political parties, condemned the United States' military strike against Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, citing violations of international law and national sovereignty. The government reaffirmed solidarity with Venezuela based on shared anti-colonial history, though some opposition figures questioned the framing while still opposing unilateral military intervention.