Inna Koviao Hengari
Member of National Assembly
Assumed office
20 March 2020
PresidentHage Geingob
Personal details
Born (1996-02-02) February 2, 1996
Namibia
Alma materUniversity of Namibia

Inna Koviao Hengari (born 2 February 1996) is a Namibian politician, student leader and youth activist. A member of the Popular Democratic Movement, she became a member of the National Assembly on 20 March 2020, the youngest since McHenry Venaani in 2004. Previously she served as Vice President of the UNAM SRC and the Students Union of Namibia. [1][2][3][4]

Early life and student activism

Hengari was born in 1996 in central Namibia. Raised by a single parent, she attended primary in Okahandja and high school in Otjiwarongo. In 2015, she joined the University of Namibia where she read Political Science. While at the University, she began writing political columns and reviews alongside Joseph Kalimbwe in the Namibian Sun's 'Astute Conversation' initiated by their lecturer Job Amupanda. [5][6][7] In 2016, she become politically active in student politics at the University, becoming elected in student issues as Housing Committee Member before being elected as Vice President of the UNAM SRC.[8] In 2018, Hengari joined the Students Union of Namibia where she was later appointed as Deputy president. She has credited McHenry Venaani and Amupanda as her forthright mentors.[9]

Politics

After graduating the University of Namibia in 2019, Hengari joined the Popular Democratic Movement as it parliamentary researcher. That same year, she was put on the party's parliamentary list and was later elected to parliament after the party won 16 seats in the 7th Parliament.[10] Hengari called on the Parliament to resolve that the President, Hage Geingob, declares a state of emergency on youth unemployment and a discussion by parliamentarians to agree on long-term and short-term interventions in addressing the unemployment crisis in Namibia.[11] Commenting on Human rights, Hengari stressed the need to do advocacy and awareness campaigns to impart knowledge on the rights of every individual, and called on Namibians to read the constitution, and not only wait for activists to fight for their rights.[12]

Personal life

Hengari graduated in 2019 with UNAM where she was doing political science, [13]Hengari was raised by a single parent who passed on suddenly just a few months before her election to Parliament.

References

  1. ↑ https://allafrica.com/stories/201909300519.html  | Namibia: PDM Finalises Parliamentary List - allAfrica.com
  2. ↑ https://www.eaglefm.com.na/podcast/the-age-of-young-leadership/ | The age of young leadership – Eagle FM
  3. ↑ https://www.namibiansun.com/news/the-importance-of-politics-and-the-youth2017-11-28 | The importance of politics and the youth - Education - Namibian Sun
  4. ↑ https://www.namibian.com.na/83715/read/PDM-finalises-parliamentary-list | - The Namibian
  5. ↑ https://www.namibiansun.com/news/astute-1 |  Astute 1 - Opinion - Namibian Sun
  6. ↑ https://neweralive.com.na/posts/rejected-nsfaf-applicants-face-turbulent-times%5B%5D |  Rejected Nsfaf applicants face turbulent times - New Era Live
  7. ↑ https://books.google.com/books/about/Persecuted_In_Search_of_Change.html?id=tXtxDwAAQBAJ | Persecuted In Search of Change - Joseph Kalimbwe - Google Books
  8. ↑ https://www.pressreader.com/namibia/new-era/20190606/281642486756355 | New Era
  9. ↑ https://www.observer.com.na/index.php/national/item/10210-nanso-fear-students-will-become-sex-workers-as-funding-cut-increases-desperation | NANSO fear students will become sex workers….as funding cut increases desperation - Windhoek Observer
  10. ↑ https://www.eaglefm.com.na/podcast/the-age-of-young-leadership/ | The age of young leadership – Eagle FM
  11. ↑ Observer. "Parliament debate on youth unemployment long overdue – WINDHOEK OBSERVER". Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  12. ↑ "Civil society and state institutions hail Constitution for restoring rights and dignity of all | nbc". nbcnews.na. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  13. ↑ "Let's meet Inna Hengari". Retrieved 2023-02-28.


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