Nearly 500 jobseekers gathered at a school at Gochas on Monday to apply for three matron posts and five cleaner positions.
The turnout caused disorder after the school gate was locked, leaving applicants outside without information.
Outgoing Hardap Regional Council chairperson Gersohn Dausab has described the situation as a painful reflection of the region’s ongoing socio-economic struggles.
“This is not just about eight jobs, it is about the desperation of an entire community.
When nearly 500 people show up for cleaner and matron positions, it tells you something is fundamentally broken.
People are not chasing opportunity; they are chasing survival,” he says.
He adds that local hiring should favour local residents, particularly in small, economically strained communities like Gochas.
