Outgoing MP Dienda tells 'lazy’ youth to get real
Tyitende encourages youth participation in politics
Merely occupying seats without making meaningful contributions is unacceptable, Dienda told young people, especially those headed to parliament.
Outgoing Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament Elma Dienda has delivered a scathing critique of Namibia’s youth, branding them as "lazy," "entitled," and lacking direction.
Her remarks, made during a panel discussion in honor of Natalie Russman, outgoing resident representative of the Konrad Adenhauer Stiftung (KAS), sparked heated debate about youth engagement in politics.
Dienda criticised young people for demanding that older politicians step down, only to enter parliament and contribute little to national development. She accused them of being passive observers in political processes rather than active participants, urging them to stop being "professional noisemakers" and instead mobilise effectively. Merely occupying seats without making meaningful contributions is unacceptable, she said during the panel discussion on Thursday.
“You are sleeping while we, the older generation, are working to return to parliament. You are sleeping. I want to tell you, use your power. Do your job by mobilising the youth so we can go out in numbers. And please, when you enter parliament, don’t just sit there warming the seats every day,” he said.
“You are just taking up space. We don’t want young people in parliament who contribute nothing, who don’t think, who spend their time on [Twitter], WhatsApp, and Facebook. Take ownership of this country,” she said.
Dienda stressed that if young people want change, they must actively join political parties rather than merely complaining on social media. She argued that leadership requires more than just an online presence and that meaningful political engagement is necessary to drive progress.
She also highlighted the need for cooperation between generations, warning against alienation between young and old. Expressing frustration over youth romanticising their political affiliations based on family ties, she dismissed the idea that people are "born into" political parties.
“Don’t come and say, ‘My mother, my father was DTA, now PDM,’ or ‘I was born in Swapo.’ How can you be born in Swapo? Nobody is born into a political party. Everyone was born in a hospital. I’m so frustrated when people claim they were born into a party. Which political party has a maternity ward? And some of you, younger than 50, say, ‘I died for the freedom of this country,’ but you’re still alive. You’re sitting here—when did you die? You are like copycats, living in the past when you should be the future,” she fumed.
Youth disengagement in politics
Meanwhile, political scientist Rui Tyitende weighed in, questioning why youth participation in politics remains low despite Namibia’s democratic freedoms.
“In this room now, we have a lot of youthful adults, but not young people. The question is, why? Why, when they are the ones facing unemployment?” he asked.
Tyitende noted that older politicians often push the youth to the periphery of politics and the economy, taking advantage of their disengagement. He recalled discussions with politicians who argue against policies tailored for young people, claiming they would create a "culture of dependency."
“For example, a young person might ask why there are no policies or programs advocating for youth, or why there isn’t a grant for unemployed young people until they reach a particular milestone. Politicians respond by saying such a grant would create dependency. But we have a grant for pensioners, for veterans of the liberation struggle, for orphans and vulnerable children, and for people living with disabilities. Where is the dependency here? These are all noble interventions,” he noted.
Tyitende also highlighted that the youth themselves fail to participate actively in elections, which politicians have observed and used to justify their exclusion.
“Who stands in the queue from 7 AM until the polling station closes? No young person would do that because they argue, ‘I’m wasting my time. DJ Maphorisa is performing at 3 PM—I need to leave.’”
With youth voter apathy and lack of political engagement, the question remains: will young Namibians heed Dienda’s challenge and step up to shape the future they claim to own?
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Her remarks, made during a panel discussion in honor of Natalie Russman, outgoing resident representative of the Konrad Adenhauer Stiftung (KAS), sparked heated debate about youth engagement in politics.
Dienda criticised young people for demanding that older politicians step down, only to enter parliament and contribute little to national development. She accused them of being passive observers in political processes rather than active participants, urging them to stop being "professional noisemakers" and instead mobilise effectively. Merely occupying seats without making meaningful contributions is unacceptable, she said during the panel discussion on Thursday.
“You are sleeping while we, the older generation, are working to return to parliament. You are sleeping. I want to tell you, use your power. Do your job by mobilising the youth so we can go out in numbers. And please, when you enter parliament, don’t just sit there warming the seats every day,” he said.
“You are just taking up space. We don’t want young people in parliament who contribute nothing, who don’t think, who spend their time on [Twitter], WhatsApp, and Facebook. Take ownership of this country,” she said.
Dienda stressed that if young people want change, they must actively join political parties rather than merely complaining on social media. She argued that leadership requires more than just an online presence and that meaningful political engagement is necessary to drive progress.
She also highlighted the need for cooperation between generations, warning against alienation between young and old. Expressing frustration over youth romanticising their political affiliations based on family ties, she dismissed the idea that people are "born into" political parties.
“Don’t come and say, ‘My mother, my father was DTA, now PDM,’ or ‘I was born in Swapo.’ How can you be born in Swapo? Nobody is born into a political party. Everyone was born in a hospital. I’m so frustrated when people claim they were born into a party. Which political party has a maternity ward? And some of you, younger than 50, say, ‘I died for the freedom of this country,’ but you’re still alive. You’re sitting here—when did you die? You are like copycats, living in the past when you should be the future,” she fumed.
Youth disengagement in politics
Meanwhile, political scientist Rui Tyitende weighed in, questioning why youth participation in politics remains low despite Namibia’s democratic freedoms.
“In this room now, we have a lot of youthful adults, but not young people. The question is, why? Why, when they are the ones facing unemployment?” he asked.
Tyitende noted that older politicians often push the youth to the periphery of politics and the economy, taking advantage of their disengagement. He recalled discussions with politicians who argue against policies tailored for young people, claiming they would create a "culture of dependency."
“For example, a young person might ask why there are no policies or programs advocating for youth, or why there isn’t a grant for unemployed young people until they reach a particular milestone. Politicians respond by saying such a grant would create dependency. But we have a grant for pensioners, for veterans of the liberation struggle, for orphans and vulnerable children, and for people living with disabilities. Where is the dependency here? These are all noble interventions,” he noted.
Tyitende also highlighted that the youth themselves fail to participate actively in elections, which politicians have observed and used to justify their exclusion.
“Who stands in the queue from 7 AM until the polling station closes? No young person would do that because they argue, ‘I’m wasting my time. DJ Maphorisa is performing at 3 PM—I need to leave.’”
With youth voter apathy and lack of political engagement, the question remains: will young Namibians heed Dienda’s challenge and step up to shape the future they claim to own?
[email protected]
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