Freddy Mwiya, Chief Administrator at the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), expressed his enthusiasm regarding the appointments of Sanet Steenkamp and Dino Ballotti as the new Minister and Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture (MoEIYSAC). President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced their appointments over the past weekend.
Steenkamp, formerly the Executive Director in the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture, succeeds retired Minister Agnes Tjongarer while Ballotti replaces Emma Kantema-Gaomas, who now serves as the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
It’s widely known that Mwiya and Tjongarero had a strained relationship, stemming from the ministry’s 2022 attempt to advertise Mwiya’s position after his term concluded. This matter resulted in a court case, which Mwiya won.
Mwiya, who has held his position since 2017, believes the new ministers’ appointments will usher in a fresh perspective for sports. The NSC has faced considerable criticism from the public and federations/associations, who perceive a lack of adequate support in fulfilling their mandates to develop sports across the nation. This is often attributed to funding shortages, despite the NSC’s annual allocation through the directorate of sports.
“This is a step in the right direction as from early years. This Ministry was together (Ministry of Education and Sport). The appointment is in the right direction as the Minister (Steenkamp) is a tested administrator in education, youth and culture that combines with sport as an activity for the youth,” Mwiya stated.
The appointments of Steenkamp and Ballotti surprised many, who anticipated different candidates. However, the decision became logical upon the ministries’ merger. Nandi-Ndaitwah, expected to select ministers from the SWAPO Party parliamentary list, exercised her presidential prerogative to appoint individuals she deemed best suited to lead the government, with a focus on sports and education.
A prominent national issue is the scarcity of sports facilities, particularly a national stadium for various national teams. This has forced Namibia to host international matches abroad, notably in South Africa, incurring significant expenses.
Nevertheless, the country is upgrading the Independence Stadium into a premier multi-purpose sports venue, with a projected cost of nearly N$2 billion over three to five years.
Steenkamp and Ballotti, while not politicians, possess strong administrative skills. Steenkamp is renowned in academia, and Ballotti is a dedicated sports enthusiast, particularly in football, where he held positions at local clubs like Julinho Athletic, Tigers, and Ramblers.
“There is great hope as the SWAPO Party implementation manifesto is very clear and we are there to support the program and support the Ministers as we need to bring a great change,” Mwiya concluded.