The National Youth Council (NYC) has defied a directive from the Minister of Youth not to proceed with the General Assembly.

On Thursday, Minister Agnes Tjingarero dissolved the Council's board members with immediate effect.

Over 200 youth delegates of the National Youth Council, gathered at the Rietfontein National Youth Centre in Grootfontein, have collectively decided to continue with the organization's long-scheduled General Assembly elections. 

Tjingarero on Thursday called off the elections and suspended the sitting NYC Board, citing their repeated failure to comply with ministerial directives.

The youth delegates in Grootfontein say they will not be swayed, and after gathering since Friday, they expect to start deliberating on the agenda, with the first session to begin tonight (Sun).

Acting NYS General Assembly Spokesperson William Minnie stated that the delegates have a mandate to uphold in conducting the General Assembly.

The minister removed the board, citing nine contraventions of the National Youth Council Act.

Disregard for ministerial directives is one of these, as the board consistently ignored the minister's directives, dragging the ministry's name into disrepute. Other issues included mismanagement of funds that affected the organization's operations, maladministration as the board failed in its oversight functions, and failure to commemorate National Youth Week.

Additional transgressions included non-compliance with procurement procedures, as the board bypassed procurement protocols, dishonesty among board members, failure to disclose conflicts of interest that compromised transparency and accountability, and waste of organizational resources.