The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) questioned the motive, timing and expediency as well as the reasonability of the transfer over the past weekend of what it called the secretive paramilitary National Youth Service (NYS) to the Office of President. On August 14 2004, President Sam Nujoma, by a decree, removed with "immediate effect" the NYS from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation (MHETEC) to that of State House. The consti-tutionality, legality and desirability of such transfer were also questionable, the NSHR said this week.

In a Media Release on 5 April 2001, the Cabinet announced the estab-lishment of a National Youth Service Agency (NYSA) as a statutory body. The Cabinet explained it was necessary to establish NYS as an agency because it has grown since its inception in 1998. on June 3 2002 the Cabinet, advised in yet another Media Release that "a Government ministry cannot effectively and efficiently administer and manage the expansion [of NYS] and that a flexible and efficient organization is required." President Nujoma last Saturday stated that "The National Youth Service has now expanded and needs to be effectively and efficiently administered to enable it to play its meaningful role in the acceleration of the socio-economic development of our country."

The reasonability of the transfer was questionable, the NSHR said, as it made little sense, if any, to remove NYS from one Government Ministry (i.e. MHETEC) to another Government Ministry (i.e. Office of the President).

On 5 March 2004, the President reportedly pointed out to the paramilitary group as "a perfect example of keeping young people occupied and away from the temptations of the imperialists." He also said that NYS has succeeded in wiping out ethnicity and tribalism."

"The hidden political agenda behind NYS is finally coming to the fore," said Phil ya Nangoloh, executive director of the NSHR. "Taken against the backdrop of the up-coming national and presidential elections and the punitive land reform process as well as the involvement of Zimbabwe "experts" in the said process, the timing of such transfer could not be more perfect and opportune"

President Nujoma was likely to convert the NYS into a repressive tool to be used against civil society actors and Opposition parties during such elections or even beyond, the NSHR feared.