Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698752322942.pdf (Namibia)
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA BUDGET MOTIVATION STATEMENT Vote 027: 2019/2020 Presented by: Hon.

Erastus Uutoni, Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service April 2019 Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee; Honourable Members, Allow me to express my profound congratulations to Honourable Calle Schlettwein, Minister of Finance, and in the same vein, to the Minister of Economic Planning and Director General of the National Planning Commission, Hon.
Obed Kandjoze and the entire staff of these institutions, for the effort made in making this challenging task possible.

The economic challenges our country is going through, requires us to take tough decisions that may sometimes look very unpopular but necessary.

This Ministry is in a process of delegating functions to the Regional Councils in line with the Decentralization Enabling Act (Act no 33 of 2000).
This exercise is at an advanced stage and all due processes will be followed in order to ensure smooth execution thereof.

The delegation process is intended to commence in first Quarter of 2019.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee; Honourable Members The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service is mandated to develop and empower the youth and promote sport in all its facets.
The proposed allocated budget for our Ministry in this financial year 2019/20, amounts to TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY-FIVE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND NINENTY NINE THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS ONLY (N$285 999 000.00) This allocation represents TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINENTY THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 255 190 000.00) for the Operational Budget and THIRTY MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINE THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 30 809 000.00) for the Development Budget.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Honourable Members In this year’s motivation of the budget that is geared towards stimulating the economy and creating jobs, I want to clearly state that there has been a steady decline with steep cuts to the budget allocation to this Ministry, both on the operational and development components to such an extent that we can hardly execute our mandate.

This has really created serious challenges to both Youth and Sporting communities in our country.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee; Honourable Members The Ministry continues to promote SPORT and avail opportunities for all Namibians to realize their sporting aspirations, despite limited resources.

Towards this end, the period under review saw the Ministry take important steps, by adopting through Cabinet, two important policy documents.

These two documents in reference are the NAMIBIA SPORT REWARD POLICY and THE SPORT CATEGORIZATION POLICY.
The Sport Reward policy is a guideline that aims at providing an official statement of various incentives that athletes and technical personnel will receive from the Namibian government after excellent performance at international games.

The Sport Categorization will aid government and all stakeholders to focus their efforts on the national sport codes, which are Football, Netball and Rugby and also on the priority sport codes, which are Paralympics, Boxing, Wrestling, Athletics and Cycling.
During the 2018/19 financial year, various sportsmen and women made the country proud.

We won two (2) gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games that were held in the Gold Coast (Australia).

Helalia Johannes won a gold in the marathon, while Jonas Junias Jonas brought home another gold medal in boxing.

Helalia Johannes then continued to make us proud by winning the Nagoya Women marathon of Japan, in March 2019.
The outstanding performance of Jonas Junias Jonas and Helalia Johannes have seen them qualify for the 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS GAMES.

The Namibia Senior Rugby Team, won the African Gold Cup and thus qualified for the 2019 World Rugby Cup to be hosted in Japan.

The Brave Warrior similarly had an outstanding year and through their hard work, they have qualified for the African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Egypt in June 2019.
The Namibia Netball Federation successfully hosted the Debmarine PENT SERIES, which is an international netball competition with four (4) neighboring countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) participating, and of which Namibia won the tournament.

The Namibia Swimming Federation also hosted the 2019 CANA ZONE 4 CHAMPIONSHIP in Windhoek with fourteen (14) African countries participated.
The Namibia Wrestling Federation participated in the 2019 African Senior Wrestling Championships in Tunisia, were Asino Festus won a gold and subsequently qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while Romeo Goliath got a bronze medal.

The Namibia National Paralympic Committee continues to produce excellent results.
During the period under review the National Paralympic Team participated in the 2019 NEDBANK PHYSICAL DISABLE CHAMPIONSHIP and the team returned with thirty-two (32) gold medals, eleven (11) silver medals and three (3) bronze medals and through this participation, 12 athletes qualified for the World Championships that will take place in Dubai in November 2019 and six (6) athletes qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
At the recently concluded 2019 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD SUMMER GAMES in Abu Dhabi, Ruben Gowaseb won a gold medal in the half marathon.

The Namibia Wrestling and Boxing Control Board continues to produce outstanding results.

We have Paulus Ambunda as the current IBO Bantamweight World Champion, while Jonas Mateus as the International Bantamweight Champion.

Furthermore, Jeremiah Nakathila is the WBO African Super Featherweight Champion while Mike Shonena is the WBO African Welterweight Champion.
Honourable Chairperson In terms of planned programmes and activities for 2019/20 financial year, Namibia has taken great strides and has qualified for international games to take place in the 2019/20 financial year and a capital injection is required towards their intensive preparation which is mainly involving training camps and incentives.
It is imperative for Namibia to participate in these activities and failure to participate will results in penalties against Namibia that are normally higher than the participation costs.

Brave Warriors are set to participate in the 2019 AFCON CUP to be hosted by Egypt in June 2019.

The Senior Male Rugby Team is going to participate in the 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP and this is the 6th consecutive qualification.
Similarly, Namibia is to send a team to participate in the 2019 AFRICAN GAMES slotted for Morocco during Aug/Sept 2019.

It is clear from that the allocation to the Ministry will not be sufficient to cater for the participation of Brave Warriors are set to participate in the 2019 AFCON CUP as well as 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP.

The Namibia Senior Women Hockey team is ranked 42nd in the World and number one (1) on the continent.
After their tremendous performance at the World Championship and their gold victory at the African Open Series in Zimbabwe in December 2018, the Namibia Women Hockey qualified to participate in the qualifiers for the TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS.

The team is scheduled to play their qualifier in Spain in June 2019.

Additionally, the Namibian Paralympics team will participate in two major competitions that serve as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games during this current financial.
The IPC World Championship in Dubai during November 2019, and the first African Paralympics Games to be held Morocco during January 2020.

We are busy planning for the Sport Expo that is to take place in September 2019.

The objective of the expo is to unite the sport sector with the hope to fast-track the professionalization of sport in the country.

We furthermore want to establish the Sport Museum that will showcase individual and teams’ efforts toward sport development in the country.
Towards the third quarter of this financial year, the Ministry together with the Namibia Sport Commission intends to host the second National Youth Games, which serve as platform were the NAMIBIA U/20 YOUTH team is selected.

This team is to participate in the 2020 AUSC REGION 5 U/20 YOUTH GAMES slotted for Lesotho in the coming financial year.

The teams need to go into training camps, which amongst others include competition against other national teams.
Therefore, I plead with these august house to direct sufficient funds needed by the various national sport teams to honor the all above-mentioned competitions that didn’t receive any budgetary considerations.

CHALLENGES Foremost, lack of funds remain our biggest bottleneck in sport.

The second challenge, which my Ministry is faced with is lack of sports facilities and dilapidate facilities.
If more sport facilities were of international standards, Namibia could have hosted more international events and contribute through sport tourism to the national development.

The third challenge is the pro-long construction period of sport stadiums.

For example, the Eenhana Sport Stadium has been in construction for more than ten (10) years hence Ohangwena region is deprived of their right and opportunities to host and participate in sport events.
The fourth challenge, is lack of qualified and skilled sport experts.

Through, countries such as Cuba, we continue to provide Namibia with sport experts We strongly believe that if we have skilled coaches and sport personnel, this effect will trickle down to the athletes’ performance.

The last challenge related to sport, is the omission of sport development from the national and regional agendas of the country.

Through sport we can work toward employment of the youth.
In NDP5, we are anticipating that by the end of this plan, sport should be contributing about 2% of the employment in the country.

Through sport, athletes are taught soft-skills which consist of respect, team-work, and leadership to name a few, hence sport can be used to curb many social ills in our communities.

Lastly, sport can also become a tool to overcome juvenile delinquency.

We have notice with concern, on the increase in the number of youth committing crime in the country.
Sport can be used as a means to constructive engagement and can keep the youth away from deviant behaviors.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members, The Ministry is mandated with developing the youth into becoming an empowered, self- reliant and productive citizens and this surely requires a multi-sectorial approach, hence together with the National Youth Council, the National Youth Service and further collaboration with line ministries and development partners, we steadily continued to work toward realizing government’s commitment to empowering the Namibian youth through developing skills and various empowerment programmes.
The high rate of youth unemployment remains a major concern for the Ministry and the government at large.

According to the Namibia Labour Force Survey of 2018, the overall youth unemployment rate is 46.1 percent which is an increase of 2.7 percent compared to the youth unemployment rate of 43.4 percent reported in 2016.
The situation is further aggravated by the shrinking budget allocation to programmes geared toward youth development which also poses a major operational challenge to meeting mandates of our Public-Owned Enterprises.
Having made reference to the financial predicament we faced through the 2018/19 financial year, I sincerely want to highlight major achievements in youth development during the financial year 2018/19: I am pleased to share with you that we established all 121 Rural Youth Enterprises as per the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) of which all the constituencies now has a registered enterprise under the name of that specific constituency.
At this juncture, I want to express my deepest appreciation to my counterpart, the Minister of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development, Hon.

Tjikero Tweya, Secretary to Cabinet, Dr. George Simataa, and most importantly, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) who assisted with fast- tracking the registration processes.
It is worth mentioning that our Ministry is working with the Development Bank of Namibia in developing an intensive training packages on business principles, business management and marketing to the aspiring young entrepreneurs.

Once in business, the 121 constituency- based Rural Youth Enterprises will create employment to the tune of one thousand two hundred and ten (1210) youth with the potential of employing an additional six hundred and five (605) if each enterprise employs five more young people.
Honourable Members, Despite the economic downturns and budget cuts, I am proud to share with you that the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme disbursed loans to two hundred and eighteen (218) youth enterprises across the country, totaling to ONE MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX THOUSAND, AND FORTY SEVEN NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 1,896,047).

The Ministry continues to revise the governance instruments to respond to the needs and aspiration of the youth.
It is with great happiness that I share with this august house that the second National Youth Policy was reviewed through regional and national consultative processes, and a third National Youth Policy was formulated with financial and human resource assistance from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

This policy which will soon be tabled to Cabinet.


Honourable Members of this August House, I want to emphasize that we continue to empower our youth and impart skills, through collaborative efforts such as that of USAID who sponsored the Omaheke Youth Fashion Design, Tailoring and Manufacturing Project at the Gobabis Multi-Purpose Youth Resource Centre.

They manufacture school uniforms and various other clothing.
Furthermore, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization donated equipment to Nauasspoort Youth Micro gardening, a Windhoek Rural Youth Development Project.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, As a Ministry, we remain committed to investing in the human capital by imparting skills at our Centres.
Thus, two hundred sixty-nine (269) unemployed youth and out of school youth graduated from semester short courses, while another one hundred sixty-five (165) unemployed youth graduated from our one year skills training programme.

Allow me to further report that two hundred and ninety-nine (299) Children of the Liberation Struggle completed civic and skills training programme at Berg Aukas Rural Youth Development Centre and sixty-nine (69) at Namibia Institute of Mining Technology (NIMT).
Currently, the government is engaged with securing job placement for them.

Three hundred (300) Children of the Liberation Struggle (CLS) commenced with their Civic Training at Kai//Ganaxab Skills Development Training Centre in March 2019.

NIMT has agreed to recruit another ninety in September 2019.
Honourable Members of this August House, The Ministry gave effect to the Cabinet Decision: 22nd /11.12.07/006 which advances the utilization of youth, trainees and graduates of Vocational Training Centres to do repair and renovation on government facilities, by entering into an agreement with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).

This will create employment to the youth in addition to presenting them with opportunities to show case their skills.
Honourable Members, kindly allow me to highlight some achievements under the National Youth Service and National Youth Council as two Public Enterprises also responsible for youth development.

The National Youth Service (NYS) and the National Youth Council (NYC) had a very challenging year with regards to fully executing their mandate on training, due to shrunk budget allocation.
The Phase II Construction the project funded through a grant by the Chinese Government resumed in 2017/18 financial year is progressing well and is anticipated to be completed by August 2019.

Construction of the new campus at the Rietfontein Youth Training Centre is on track.

The National Youth Service enrolled five hundred and seven (507) new recruits at the Rietfontein Youth Training Centre.
Additionally, NTA conducted external assessments at the Centre in various trades and two-hundred and sixty (260) trainees passed their assessments on different levels ranging from Level One (1) to Level Three (3).

NYS also generated one million seven hundred and fifty-one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six and eleven cents (N$ 1, 751,826.

11) from marketing and sales of produce and products made by trainees.
The Youth Security Service (YSS) which is now renamed to NAYOSE (National Youth Service) continues to contribute towards employment creation and had four hundred and fifty-two (452) employed youth by the end of January 2019.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, Other business projects envisaged for 2019/20 are Value Addition to agricultural Produce, Production Units in rural growth centers and an extended Business Arm.
These Business projects have an opportunity of generating an estimated income of eight million one hundred and sixty thousand Namibia Dollars (N$8,160,000) and have a potential of creating employment.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, I am very proud to highlight some of the major achievements under the National Youth Council during the year under review.

The NYC successfully hosted the SADC Youth Forum on 13 -14 December 2018 in Windhoek.
I am further pleased to share with you that seventy-two (72) young entrepreneurs received loans to the value of six hundred and fifty three thousand Namibia Dollars (N$653,000.00) under the Credit for Youth in Business Programme.

Furthermore, one hundred and eleven (111) businesses received loans from the Bank Windhoek to the value of N$1, 025,000.0, which resulted in employment creation for one hundred and sixty (160) youth.
As part of economic empowerment, NYC trained fifty-four (54) young people on solar cooking and renewable energy, and some on tailoring training.

Additionally, eighty (80) youth leaders were trained on leadership skills under the Youth Leadership Development Programme.

NYC is further obligated to subsidize Youth Organizations to implement youth programmes, hence, fifty-six (56) youth organizations were funded through the Youth Development Grants Programme.
Honourable Members of this August House, NYC supported by the Social Security Commission provided technical and financial assistance towards four (4) regional youth income generating projects to the value of N$ 21,095.72, of which three (3) are agricultural projects and one (1) is a bakery project.

The NYC plans to advance further loans to additional one hundred (100) youth businesses under Credit for Youth in Business programme during the 2019/20 financial year.
In an effort to reduce youth unemployment amongst graduates, the National Youth Council is planning on piloting with a “Soft Skills Development” The specific objectives of the project are to create a platform for young graduates to acquire soft skills required in the labour market and to prepare them to enter labour markets with confidence.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, One major activity under the National Youth Council which requires funding is the hosting of the “National Youth Week” which will take in April, in Kamanjab, Kunene Region.

Various activities such as Learning Seminars, Dialogue Platforms, Exhibitions, Youth Hub Interactions and Arts and Culture takes place during this week.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee, NYC further plans to host the General Assembly this year.
This is the highest consultative, policy and decision making body of the Council that meets once in every four years.

However, prior to the General Assembly, NYC will restructure its one hundred and twenty-one (121) Constituency youth structures and fourteen (14) Regional structures, an activity which is done every second year.
Honourable Members, in summary, the 2019/20 budget allocation for our Ministry will go towards supporting the programmes of the Ministry as follows: SPORTING PROMOTION Sport directorate is allocated THIRTY-THREE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND NINTEEN THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 33 719 000) to cater for all Sports related activities including subsidies to the Namibia Sports Commission, amounting to FIVE MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND FOURTY THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 5 940 000).
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Youth Development is allocated ONE HUNDRED FORTY MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED AND FOURTY-FOUR THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 140 444 000- 00) to cater for all Youth related activities, including subsidies to National Youth Service amounting to THIRTY FIVE MILLION NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 35 000 000) and TWENTY FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 24 500 000) to the National Youth Council.
SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT SERVICES This program is allocated EIGTHY ONE MILLION, TWENTY-SEVEN THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 81 027 000-00) to cater for all the support services within the Ministry and it includes the allocation for the Office of the Minister.
Development Budget The Ministry has a number of projects running at different phases, however, due to the limited budget allocation of THIRTY MILLION EIGHT HUNDREND AND NINE THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$30 809 000-00), the only projects that will be implemented in the 2019/20 financial year are: Construction of the sewerage treatment plant at Frans Dimbare Rural Youth Development Centre budgeted at N$15 million, the feasibility study, documentation and fencing off of the plot earmarked for the Nkurenkuru Multi-Purpose Youth Resource Centre budgeted at N$ 5 million and the Continuation of Phase four (4) of the construction of Eenhana Sport Complex budgeted at N$10 809 million.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee; Honourable Members, I should point out that if our National Sports teams and the youth are to develop and be empowered, adequate funding is necessary.

The current budget allocation is inadequate and hence, it is detrimental to sports and youth development.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Deputy Minister, Hon.
Agnes Tjongarero, the Executive Director Emma Kantema-Gaomas and the entire staff members of the Ministry for their hard work, dedication and professionalism displayed during the difficult economic times we had to endure in the 2018/19 financial year.

In conclusion, our Ministry, despite these challenges remains committed to deliver on its mandate and by doing so, contribute significantly to youth empowerment and promotion of sport.
I therefore request the indulgence of the Honourable members to approve the amount of TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND NINTY NINE THOUSAND NAMIBIA DOLLARS (N$ 285 999 000.00).

I Thank You.