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Yesterday’s Labour Force Survey results sent mixed signals across the spectrum, denting the hopes of some, while others believe there is light at the end of a bleak tunnel.
Namibia’s unemployment rate has risen by 3.5 percentage points to 36.9%, with 320 442 people now jobless, the latest Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) report shows.
Furthermore, over one-million working-age people are not in the labour force, with 66% stating they do not want a job.
Youth unemployment has dropped by 1.7 percentage points to 44.4% from 46.1% in the 2018 Labour Force Survey.
Yesterday, New Era’s crew took to the streets of Windhoek to hear from those who are hardest-hit by unemployment what they make of the numbers.
It has become a common sight for unemployed residents here to gather every morning at traffic lights and shopping malls with the hope of securing any kind of job in a bid to make ends meet, or simply secure a meal to live to fight another day.
Amongst the suggestions provided was that the government should create employment opportunities in agriculture, construction and mining that do not require formal education.
Others proposed start-up capital for those who are interested in starting small businesses.
Otjomuise resident Uushona Johannes expressed his concern about the recently- released unemployment statistics.
“It’s troubling that every year, the government announces an increase in these numbers, without providing a clear plan to address the issue. I may not have formal qualifications, but there are many types of work I can do such as cleaning, setting up tents and gardening”, he stated.
He then proposed that the government provides opportunities for unskilled labourers to clean public buildings such as hospitals and schools, or even to clear riverbeds.
Every morning, Johannes and others gather at traffic lights, hoping to secure cleaning jobs from good Samaritans.
A day is like the jungle’s natural selection. It is survival of the fittest, with no protocols, and people often must push each other to get noticed.
Another is Michael Waterboer, who has been stationed in front of the Pupkewitz Mega Build premises in Windhoek’s southern industrial area, looking for odd jobs in hopes of securing a long-term contract.
“I have been camping here since 2019, and have extensive experience in construction, plumbing and electrical services. While there are good days when I get hired for a week or even a month, it’s challenging to find full-time employment or a long-term contract,” he lamented.
In most cases, his potential employers are the customers of Pupkewitz Mega Build, who visit the shop to buy building materials.
“We always display our equipment for the clients to know the experience we possess,” Waterboer added.
John Oxurub is another contractor who has been roaming the capital’s streets in search of work for the past 20 years.
His appeal to government and the private sector is to ensure that the companies which get State contracts consider them for employment.
“There are employment opportunities in this country; we don’t need grants. The government can agree with entrepreneurs to make sure that all construction companies prioritise hiring people who have been camping at the traffic lights to ask for employment,” he noted.
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At the corner of David Hosea Meroro and Goshawk Streets sits 44-year-old Patric Immanuel, a resident of the Havana informal settlement.
Every day, he walks to his spot, where he not only asks motorists for employment and spare change, but also collects and sells fresh grass to livestock farmers.
“I am passionate about agriculture, and my recommendation is for the government to provide us with jobs at government irrigation schemes,” he reasoned.
Immanuel emphasised that the government needs to create employment opportunities which do not require formal education.
“It is a fact that many of us have minimal formal education, but the government should establish unskilled job categories which can accommodate most of us on the streets,” he appealed.
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