The Secretary General of the Pan African Youth Union, Wiisichong Bening, has stated that young people are often perceived as overly ambitious, with policymakers misinterpreting this as misbehaving. 

He made the remarks during the first Commonwealth Consultative Dialogue currently taking place in Windhoek.

Bening explained that senior policymakers sometimes perceive young people's exuberance as disruptive, as they are reluctant to face competition from new ideas. "We are supposed to misbehave in a positive way," he said, adding that youth are often labelled as “rogue elements” despite their valuable contributions.

He also announced a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the African Union Commission, signalling strengthened cooperation between the Pan African Youth Union and the African Union. Bening highlighted growing confidence and participation in the Pan African Youth Union, noting that the union convenes a minimum of 51 member states at any given time and is receiving increased funding and support from member states.