The dust surrounding the controversial trip to the 18th World Festival of Youth settle, with fresh allegations that the money was taken from the Namibia Credit Youth Scheme against the wishes of some top government authorities.
According to sources, the trip which reportedly cost the taxpayer N$5,8 million will actually gobble up over N$10 million. The N$5,8 million will only be for flight costs to and from Ecuador. The rest of the money will go towards out-of-pocket allowances for delegates and other expenses.
The Credit Youth Scheme, which falls under the youth ministry, was created to help young people fight unemployment by receiving loan advances to either start or boost their business ventures.
Those in the know say the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, did not have money for the trip hence diverting funds from the scheme for the 250 strong Namibian delegation. This is despite the fact that the youth ministry normally sets money aside for these kinds of trips.
The Namibian delegation consists of Swapo youth league members, delegates representing the National Youth Council (NYC) and officials from the youth ministry.
Sources in the organising committee said it would be cheaper to charter an Air Namibia plane (for N$5 million) than buying air tickets for individual delegates on commercial flights.
The delegation, with Youth Minister Jerry Ekandjo as the leader, departed for Ecuador yesterday.
A source told The Namibian that Ekandjo forced the release of the funds despite strong opposition from senior youth ministry officials.
Ekandjo avoided talking to The Namibian when approached to comment on the matter.
The Namibian also learnt that Prime Minister Hage Geingob was also opposed to the trip and the expenditure but allegedly backed down because Ekandjo had received President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Cabinet’s blessings.
Sources added that the 250 delegates will each receive an allowance of US$300 (about N$3 000) for the duration of the festival.
Several opposition party youth wings have criticised the youth ministry for taking such a large delegation to the 10-day event using government resources.
They claimed the delegation outnumbers those from several other countries.
In 2010, Namibia undertook a similar trip to South Africa with 400 delegates, and also attended youth festivals in Angola and Spain.
The secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), Elijah Ngurare said the budget for this year’s trip is lower than that of previous years and that for Air Namibia alone, about N$4 million was spent.
Neither the SPYL nor the NYC could confirm who was responsible for the overall selection of the delegation.
“It is not true that the selection of the delegates was left in the hands of the NYC alone. Of the 250 delegates who went, we only selected 50, the rest are from SPYL and various ministries,” said the Executive Chairperson of NYC, Mandela Kapere.
Kapere said that NYC had extended an invitation to the different youth wings, including RDP, DTA, Swanu and UDF. He declined to comment further on other details of the trip, referring The Namibian to Ekandjo’s ministry.
Yesterday, over 50 youth from various political youth wings, turned up at the Hosea Kutako International Airport to demonstrate their unhappiness over the trip.
“We will not be silenced, even by those who are calling us cockroaches,” said Swanu Youth League spokesperson, Jeremy Kasume.
Meanwhile, president of the Namibia Exile Kids Association (Neka), Benitha Nakaambo has condemned the SPYL secretary of internal affairs, Edward Kafita, for branding other youth wing leaders “cockroaches”.
“I was shocked to hear people being called cockroaches. It is a pity that politics is being down played to such an extent. I have reservations over the trip, but we have accepted the invitation so that others may learn and see for themselves what goes on there,” she posted on Facebook yesterday.
Nakaambo said such utterances by SPYL should be condemned.
According to sources, the trip which reportedly cost the taxpayer N$5,8 million will actually gobble up over N$10 million. The N$5,8 million will only be for flight costs to and from Ecuador. The rest of the money will go towards out-of-pocket allowances for delegates and other expenses.
The Credit Youth Scheme, which falls under the youth ministry, was created to help young people fight unemployment by receiving loan advances to either start or boost their business ventures.
Those in the know say the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, did not have money for the trip hence diverting funds from the scheme for the 250 strong Namibian delegation. This is despite the fact that the youth ministry normally sets money aside for these kinds of trips.
The Namibian delegation consists of Swapo youth league members, delegates representing the National Youth Council (NYC) and officials from the youth ministry.
Sources in the organising committee said it would be cheaper to charter an Air Namibia plane (for N$5 million) than buying air tickets for individual delegates on commercial flights.
The delegation, with Youth Minister Jerry Ekandjo as the leader, departed for Ecuador yesterday.
A source told The Namibian that Ekandjo forced the release of the funds despite strong opposition from senior youth ministry officials.
Ekandjo avoided talking to The Namibian when approached to comment on the matter.
The Namibian also learnt that Prime Minister Hage Geingob was also opposed to the trip and the expenditure but allegedly backed down because Ekandjo had received President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Cabinet’s blessings.
Sources added that the 250 delegates will each receive an allowance of US$300 (about N$3 000) for the duration of the festival.
Several opposition party youth wings have criticised the youth ministry for taking such a large delegation to the 10-day event using government resources.
They claimed the delegation outnumbers those from several other countries.
In 2010, Namibia undertook a similar trip to South Africa with 400 delegates, and also attended youth festivals in Angola and Spain.
The secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), Elijah Ngurare said the budget for this year’s trip is lower than that of previous years and that for Air Namibia alone, about N$4 million was spent.
Neither the SPYL nor the NYC could confirm who was responsible for the overall selection of the delegation.
“It is not true that the selection of the delegates was left in the hands of the NYC alone. Of the 250 delegates who went, we only selected 50, the rest are from SPYL and various ministries,” said the Executive Chairperson of NYC, Mandela Kapere.
Kapere said that NYC had extended an invitation to the different youth wings, including RDP, DTA, Swanu and UDF. He declined to comment further on other details of the trip, referring The Namibian to Ekandjo’s ministry.
Yesterday, over 50 youth from various political youth wings, turned up at the Hosea Kutako International Airport to demonstrate their unhappiness over the trip.
“We will not be silenced, even by those who are calling us cockroaches,” said Swanu Youth League spokesperson, Jeremy Kasume.
Meanwhile, president of the Namibia Exile Kids Association (Neka), Benitha Nakaambo has condemned the SPYL secretary of internal affairs, Edward Kafita, for branding other youth wing leaders “cockroaches”.
“I was shocked to hear people being called cockroaches. It is a pity that politics is being down played to such an extent. I have reservations over the trip, but we have accepted the invitation so that others may learn and see for themselves what goes on there,” she posted on Facebook yesterday.
Nakaambo said such utterances by SPYL should be condemned.
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