WINDHOEK - Children born during the liberation struggle visited the president of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) McHenry Venaani seeking his involvement in their quest to get jobs, a plight shared by many other youths.
The four-member delegation comprising of ‘struggle kids’ who were born in exile paid Venaani a courtesy visited at his parliament office last week.
Group spokesperson Anna Fritz informed Venaani about their difficult living conditions at the Ndilimani camp in Brakwater and their demand for employment from government since 2015. Fritz said they had a meeting with Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila on June 24, 2016 where she instructed the Secretary to Cabinet, George Simataa, to inform all ministries’ permanent secretaries to request a list of vacancies in ministries and the jobs will be awarded to them. Giving job preference to ‘struggle kids’ has been condemned because unemployment faces all Namibian youths.
Fritz said they waited and nothing came out of it, only to be invited back to the office of the prime minister where they were informed they will be attending training at Simon Mutumba and Berg Aukas training centres.
Fritz said certificates offered at these centres are not accredited and once trained they are expected to go look for employment themselves.
She added that among those camping at Ndilimani are some ‘struggle kids’ who already attended training at these centres but remain unemployed. She added that while at Ndilimani they are left to fend for themselves with no assistance from the ruling Swapo Party. She said those who have parents that have salaried jobs continue to depend on them for assistance.
Venaani said they might not be from the same political party but problems that are national are his business. “Opposition have to look at issues that have to do with government oversight. What I see every day and what pains me, I see Namibians at traffic lights begging for money trying to make ends meet … it works when people come to office. Government reacts, what they fear is, if they go to Venaani, they can vote Venaani into power therefore they react. I know when you are here, tomorrow the prime minister will meet you soon and resolve your problems,” he stated. Venaani stated that he will make time in his busy schedule to visit and assess the situation at Ndilimani.
He added he will give Kuugongelwa-Amadhila a call and write to her to see how the ‘struggle kids’ can be assisted from a humanitarian point of view.
“I will hear from government. Your situation is not unique to you, there are 60,000 people who went to university and can’t get a job and the reason they can’t get jobs is how we structure our procurement in this country. You cannot give big tenders to big companies and don’t build the youth. There must be an element in every tender, that 30 percent of the tender must have youth element so you absorb people in the labour market,” suggested Venaani.
Venaani requested the group to remain orderly and to respect elders.