SWAPO Party Youth League
| SWAPO Party Youth League | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Secretary General | Veikko Nekundi (acting) |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Windhoek, Namibia |
| Mother party | SWAPO |
| International affiliation |
International Union of Socialist Youth, (IUSY) World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) |
| Magazine | Oshinyanga |
| Website | |
|
www | |
The SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL) is the youth wing of the SWAPO Party, the ruling party of Namibia.[1] It shares the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party. SPYL was born out of the crucibles of the anti-colonial struggle for freedom and national independence, and embodies the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party. SPYL serves as an active, revolutionary, and militant transmitting belt of the SWAPO Party ideology, policies and programmes.[1]
Foundation
SPYL came into existence in 1969 after the SWAPO Tanga Consultative Congress in Tanzania. The immediate result of the implementation of that Tanga Programme was the rise in mass of anti-colonial militancy actions in the country, as demonstrated by the 1971/72 general strike by the workers and the daring activities of the SWAPO Youth League during the 1971 to 1974 period. These activities resulted in the arrest and imprisonment at Robben Island of many Youth League leaders, including Nashilongo Taapopi, Jerry Ekandjo, Martin Kapewasha, and many others.
Structure and Organs
The National Organs of SPYL are established under the SPYL constitution and are chaired by the Secretary. This are the Congress, which is the highest decision making body of SPYL, the Central Committee, and the National Executive Committee. The SPYL constitution also makes provision for duties and functions of SPYL national office-bearers which are:
- The Secretary
- Deputy Secretary
- Secretary for Finance and Administration
- Secretary for Information, Publicity and Mobilisation
- Secretary for International Affairs
- Secretary for Labour and Justice
- Secretary for Education, SWAPO Pioneer Movement and Culture
- Secretary for Economic Affairs
- Secretary for Health, Population and Environment
- Two additional members
Leaders of SPYL
- Keshii Pelao Nathanael, 1970 - 1976
- Ignatius Shixwameni, 1987 - 1997
- Paulus Kapia, 1997 – 2007
- Elijah Ngurare, 2007 – 2015 (expelled from position)
- Veiko Nekundi, 2015 – present (acting)
Other notable people
- Jerry Ekandjo, Government Minister; member of SPYL from 1963–79
- Kazenambo Kazenambo, Former Government Minister, Member of the SPYL Central Committee from 1991–2002
- Charles Ndaxu Namoloh, Government Minister, fled to Zambia with SPYL in 1974
- Pohamba Shifeta, Government Minister
- Piet van der Walt, Government Minister, businessperson,
- Peya Mushelenga, Member of the National Assembly
- Job Amupanda, Former SPYL Secretary for Information