(…employees may not receive their next salaries
…mandatory Youth Week in jeopardy)

Coffers at the National Youth
Council (NYC) are running
dry after the Executive
Director in the Ministry of Education,
Innovation, Youth, Sport,
Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC),
Erastus Haitengela allegedly withheld
the youth entity’s government
subsidies for the last three months
of the just concluded 2024/2025 financial
year.
The NYC received a budgetary
allocation of N$32 million from
government for the said financial
year, but has not received the
monthly operational funding of
about N$2.6 million from MEIYSAC
from January to March 2025,
prompting the youth body to pay
only salaries from its savings,
which are near depletion.
The lack of financial support
from the ministry has also affected
the efficiency of the interim board
that was appointed by the former
line minister, Agnes Tjongarero
in December 2024, after she dissolved
the NYC board citing insubordination,
shortly before the
General Assembly convention that
was set to elect a board that same
month.
A source close to the matter, who
chose to remain anonymous due
to a fear of victimization, shared
that Haitengela was allegedly at

odds with the appointment of the
interim board and has been withholding
the monthly grants ever
since its instatement for reasons
only known to him.
Confidente is also reliably informed
that Haitengela allegedly
attempted to put the NYC into
administration without the Tjongarero’s
approval in January – a
move that would have put him
in total control of the NYC, and
which would have enabled the
ministry to make employees redundant.
“The NYC is basically being held
hostage by this situation. They
have also been unable to service
funding requests from the youth
countrywide and cannot even attend
to emergencies like the leaking
roof at their headquarters, as
well as functions like conducting
regional activities ahead of the
Youth week,” the source revealed.
In January, the NYC shared
plans on social media to host the
17th edition of their annual Youth
Week slated for 27 April, however,
with only three weeks to go, the realization
of this mandatory youth
event is now in jeopardy.
“The Youth Week is statutory as
per the NYC Act. It already didn’t
take place last year, and now because
money is deliberately being
withheld, it also might not take
place this year,” the source said.
Beverly Silas-Garas, Acting Executive
and Interim Board Chairperson
at the NYC said the youth
body complied with all requirements,
including the submission
of the accountability report.
She added that the release of
funds remains under the ministry’s
jurisdiction.
According to Silas-Garas, NYC
receives monthly funding from the
line ministry, drawn from the total
government subsidy allocated for
the financial year. The last transfer
to the Council was in December

2024. The NYC receives a monthly
allocation of N$2,741,666.67 from
the total annual government subsidy
of N$32,900,000.00,” she stated.
The Council’s expected monthly
allocation is N$2,741,666.67.
She said since NYC relies primarily
on the government subsidy
for its operations, the delay in
disbursement poses operational
challenges, however, the Council
remains committed to delivering
on its mandate, including the
upcoming Namibia Youth Week
and other youth development programs.
Silas-Garas refused to reveal
the current NYC financial status,
indication that financial matters,
including NYC’s balance, are subject
to internal review and reporting.
However, she reiterated there
are still funds remaining from the
2024/25 financial year with the
line ministry.
Haitengela requested that whatever
questions to him should be
put into writing for records and
evidence.
“I have no problem with responding.
I only want you to send
through the questions in writing
because you guys sometimes misquote
people,” he said.
However, he did not respond at
the time of going to print.