Junior Councillors have called for the establishment of representation in all 14 regions of the country.

They said decentralising youth participation will give young people more opportunities to engage in democratic processes in their communities.

The call was made at the recently held Third National Council and Regional Council Consultative Conference in Otjiwarongo, which brought together members of the National Council and regional councils.

Chairperson of the Junior National Council Fritz Hangue explained.

“We should also decentralise youth participation so that, as Mr Kavura said, we don't have to be brought to Windhoek for our voices to be heard. And I believe that there are several reasons why this is important. Firstly, we can talk about continuity. We said youth participation should not begin when the Junior National Council convenes and end when the sessions conclude.”

The Vice Chairperson and member of the Erongo Junior Regional Council, Loini Nangolo, said the proposal is not about giving young people titles but about creating meaningful participation.

“If we are serious about participatory democracy and inclusive development, then we must move from words to action.”

The call received a response from the National Council, with officials pointing to existing mechanisms that could potentially facilitate the establishment of junior regional structures.

“I hope that, in our operations as regional councils, we are mandated to establish committees. So, if there is no clear law, you try to look for something that you can use to cover yourself. But we are empowered to establish committees,” added National Council Director Petrus Kavhura.

The call also received positive responses from Regional Council Chairpersons, who expressed commitment to establishing junior regional councils in their respective regions.