Otjozondjupa: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced the Namibian Defence Force's (NDF) plan to absorb 600 graduate recruits from the National Youth Service (NYS) by early 2026. The announcement was made during the graduation ceremony of 1,030 recruits from the 16th NYS intake at the Rietfontein Training Centre.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that 1,036 youths began the voluntary six-month basic training program in May 2025. The program aims to instill discipline, patriotism, and nation-building values before the recruits move on to specialized phases. The President emphasized the need for government institutions, including regional councils and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), to provide voluntary service opportunities for these graduates, as work-integrated learning is a national duty.

The NYS Act provides that graduates receive preference in recruitment processes into the defense force, police, and correctional services. President Nandi-Ndaitwah confirmed that 600 graduates from this intake will join the NDF. She also expressed hope that the Ministry of Safety and Security would consider absorbing the remaining 430 graduates.

The recruits consist of 497 females and 533 males. Nandi-Ndaitwah encouraged those with specialized skills to become artisans and create jobs for other Namibian youths. She also launched a potato agriculture project for the NYS at the center.

Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, reiterated that the NYS will continue to instill discipline, loyalty, and patriotism in all young people at the training centers in Ondangwa, Henties Bay, and Rietfontein.

Otjozondjupa Governor Julius //Khamuseb, present at the event, highlighted that the civic training of recruits from the Henties Bay and Rietfontein centers encompasses more than military drilling. The pass-out parade was attended by parents and military generals from Zambia, the NDF, the Namibian Police Force, and the Namibian Correctional Service.