Stefanus Nashama
Popular Democratic Movement Parliamentarian, Inna Hengari has urged all young people to attend and participate in the public hearing about unemployment to make their voices be heard.
“All young people and stakeholders are urged to attend these very important public hearings on youth unemployment,” she said.
Hengari said she is happy to hear that the relevant parliamentary Standing Committee has begun conducting public engagements on this urgent and important matter that has left many young people hopeless and forced them to risk their lives to unreasonable acts as their means of survival”.
Hengari has been at the forefront of the unemployment debate, calling on President Hage Geingob to consider declaring youth unemployment as a State of Emergency in the country.
Hengari was also arrested along with Social Activists Michael Amushelelo and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma while attempting to participate in an unemployment protest on 21 March this year.
Meanwhile, another PDM Member of Parliament who is also part of the Standing Committee that is conducting the public engagements, Maximalliant Katjimune has also encouraged young people, employed and unemployed to go out in big numbers and attend the public hearings.
Katjimune said the youth unemployment issue in the country needs a concrete solution, therefore, the public and stakeholders’ inputs are required to be included in the report to Parliament.
Zambezi Regional Governor, Lawrence Sampofi on Monday stated that youth unemployment is not only a regional course for concern but also a nationwide issue that will require collective efforts.
“Human resources are the backbone of a country’s development, stakeholders need to come together and discuss this issue of unemployment, let us combine forces to solve this problem,” Sampofu stressed.
A University graduate, Festus Namanhushe said the public hearing on the matter is an open opportunity for young people to express themselves and give their input on possible solutions.
He requests the media to inform the nation and communicate the message of these important hearings across the country for the public to participate.
The Namibia Labour Force Survey conducted by the Namibia Statistics Agency in 2018 found that there were 876,908 youth aged 15 to 34 in Namibia, of which 310,854 (35.4 percent) were employed and 265,770 (30.3 percent) were unemployed.
The Standing Committee is conducting regional consultations with young people and relevant stakeholders on the tabled motion.
The public consultations started on Monday in the Zambezi Region.
