Albertina Nakale
Windhoek-One of the major challenges singled out by Khomas Governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua during her State of the Region Address yesterday is the escalating level of unemployment in the region, which she said is a major concern to government.
She said, despite enormous investments into the region, levels of unemployment continue to grow, especially among youth of working-age, when she revealed that the youth unemployment rate has risen by 5.4 percent between 2014 (when it stood at 32.1 percent) to 37.5 percent in 2016. She said one reason for this could be that the region continues to be affluent and offer opportunities in terms of education, employment and health amenities.
Further, she noted that the majority of people flocking to Windhoek and Khomas Region are mainly working-age youth.
“Not all of them may be able, although they are willing to work,” she noted.that shows footage of Ueitele grabbing her phone aggressively.
Van Wyk told this reporter that the meeting had to be postponed after chaos erupted when Okorukambe Constituency Councillor Raphael Mokaleng jumped up and introduced himself as the party’s district coordinator of Okorukambe, despite Frans Murangi having been elected to the position.
She said the police had to be called in after verbal violence erupted, with some delegate’s allegedly hurling insults at each other.
New Era understands there is division among party members in the region involving two factions, one consisting of Epukiro Constituency Councillor Cornelius Kanguatjivi, former councillor of the same constituency Brave Tjizera, with Swapo Party Women’s Council member Bianca van Wyk and Frans Murangi, amogst others.
In the other corner are Ueitele, Mokaleng, chairperson of Omaheke Regional Council Ignatius Gariseb, Phillipus Katamelo MP, and others.
New Era reported that last month an Omaheke Swapo regional executive meeting in Gobabis also had to be adjourned after verbal violence erupted, with some delegates allegedly hurling insults at each other. At the time, Mungendje downplayed the incident, but confirmed a decision had been taken to adjourn the meeting until further notice.
Van Wyk is the former regional coordinator, who initially won a first election for the top women’s position last year, but which she later lost to Justine Bernard after the first election was nullified. Murangi recently also won an election for the party’s Okorukambe Constituency coordinator position, which was also later nullified.
Both claim the nullification of their election was illegal and have since taken the party to court.