Martin Endjala
President of the Popular Democratic Movement McHenry Venaani says Namibia’s inability to add value to its natural and raw materials in the major contributing factor to the high unemployment rate in the country.
Investors, he said, export these materials in the raw form, only benefiting their countries of origin.
Venaani echoed this narratives during yesterday’s National Assembly session in support of a motion moved by Inna Hengari calling for a State of Emergency on Youth Unemployment.
The PDM leader raised concerns about policy frameworks that are seen to be exacerbating the youth
unemployment.
He said the fact that foreigners have it so easy to apply and obtain work permits in Namibia and
compete with Namibians in the informal should be done away with, adding that Namibia cannot have policies in place that gives foreigners advantage over its own people.
The outspoken Venaani called on the government to require all investors to add value to the country’s resources.
Venaani wants government to devise strategies that will create platforms for graduates to venture
into fields of studies that are needed in the job market.
“We have too many lawyers, human resource, managements and marketers, of which some are still
unemployment after graduating. We need a modality framework where each town will create field of studies of how many students we need in various fields to avoid the backlog of graduates having to scramble for the only last butter on the table,’’ said Venaani.
The leader of the Landless People’s Movement, Bernadus Swartbooi emphasized on creating class
agendas to bring about various job opportunities for young people.
Swartbooi stated that the lack of class agendas is the reason why assistance given to farmers or SMEs do not bear the envisaged outcomes due to their weaknesses.
The MP wants government to industrialize most of its sectors in order to give young people
opportunities.
“Small Medium Enterprises will never flourish in Namibia nor will they ever in a country that is not
industrialized. Go to countries that are industrialized, you will see that a BMW factory parts will be
manufactured and assembled by different SMEs. Because that way you create jobs for everyone,” Swartbooi argued.
In conclusion Venaani concurred that it is a very progressive motion, one that speaks to the fundamental elements to economic growth and youth unemployment which is a social problem.
