Lela Mobile Online - Keetmanshoop residents vow to protest until demands are met
Keetmanshoop residents vow to protest until demands are met
20 Nov 2018 17:50pm
KEETMANSHOOP, 20 NOV (NAMPA)  Around 60 Keetmanshoop residents on Tuesday launched another protest in front of the Office of the //Kharas Governor, claiming that their demands from an earlier demonstration were not met.
The group last week Monday held a peaceful demonstration against the appointment of struggle kids in Government jobs at the southern town and handed over a petition to //Kharas Governor, Lucia Basson.
In their petition, the group demanded that the decision to recruit the struggle kids be withdrawn and that locals be duly considered for those vacancies. They also demanded that the Cabinet resolution on the appointments be reversed with immediate effect and that all struggle kids employed in Keetmanshoop and within the region vacate those positions before 19 November 2018.
The group said none of their demands were met and they now plan to protest in front of the Governors office until she does something.
Every day from today (Tuesday) till Friday we will be here, we will sleep here and Friday we will close this office; we want our demands to be met, said one young man.
A letter seen by Nampa on Tuesday dated 16 November 2018 from the Office of the Prime Minister signed by Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the Children of the Liberation Struggle (CLS) programme is not meant to give preferential treatment to the struggle kids at the expense of the other youth in Namibia. Rather, it will be implemented in an inclusive manner in consideration of the need to ensure equal opportunity in the public service of Namibia.
The programme was adopted to be implemented with due consideration to our national diversity and also taking cognisance of the principal of equality and inclusion, reads the letter.
The letter noted that employment opportunities are not only provided to the CLS but consideration is also given to all other Namibians irrespective of ethnic or regional origin, language and creed, in line with the Public Service Act, 1995 as well as the Constitution of Namibia.
It further said that Government has put measures in place to address youth unemployment across the country and these measures are implemented through various programmes such as the Credit of Youth in Business under the National Youth Council, Namibian Youth Credit Scheme under the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service, and many others.
In conclusion, the letter reiterated that Government is committed to inclusivity in all development endeavours and the programme for CLS and other youth empowerment programmes will be implemented in this spirit.
All opportunities are and will be shared equitably amongst all Namibians and not reserved only for CLS. I therefore call on our communities to embrace this initiative, I equally urge the public service functionaries to uphold the spirit of inclusivity in the implementation of this programme, Kuugongelwa- Amadhila said.
Speaking to Nampa, Basson said if the group feels that their demands are not met they can write a petition to the highest authority (President) through her office.
She also encouraged the group to consider the programmes that are put in place by the government to address unemployment.
They should find out the employment opportunities that are provided by those institutions, they must find out if they can get funds, loans and see how they can benefit from those programmes, Basson said.
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