I WAS BROWSING through my favourite daily newspaper (The Namibian) on a Tuesday (20 August 2019) when I came across an article that read ‘Youth migration angers Geingob’ by Khanyiswa Mogotsi, and it immediately drew my attention.
The president was quoted in the article as stating that “young people continue to move from Africa in search of greener pastures, making them vulnerable to exploitation”.
The head of state pointed to unemployment and underemployment as some of the factors forcing the youth to engage in risky behaviours such as armed disobedience and drug use.
While I concur with the president on the youth being exploited in other (developed) countries due to migration, I want to draw the attention of the president to some of the factors which are leading to migration.
The biggest problem we have in Africa which leads to youth migration is corruption. We embrace corruption here, and we have this tendency of turning a blind eye to corrupt activities, just because it benefits us or our cronies. Imagine travelling 1000 kilometres to attend an interview, whose outcome is pre-determined.
Your presence at that interview is just a mere formality, because one has to be highly connected in order to get a job in many instances in most of our African states. Unemployment, underemployment and the unfair distribution of state resources are other factors which speed up youth migration from Africa, and the fact that we have policies in place which take centuries to be implemented means the status quo shall remain.
For years, we have been talking about youth empowerment, shaping them as they are the future leaders, but what we practise is quite the contrary. We talk of youth venturing into the business world and becoming job creators, but what do we do to ensure that it happens? Absolutely nothing.
One can have the best business plan ever, but without start-up capital, that idea will never flourish. Our banking systems have also made it more difficult for the youth to embark on businesses in most African states, as the banks are more profit-driven. Political interference suppresses the youth even more, as the ruling majority ensures that the youth from minority parties, or those who are opposed to the ruling majority, are sidelined.
I urge you, Mr president, to use your status as the first citizen to at least try and address some of these shortcomings in the Namibian context, and set an example to other African countries. Let us get to the bottom of what is causing the youth to risk their lives and migrate to other countries. And please solve them, whether it takes us decades or centuries, as what will matter the most is the fact that the youth will start having faith in the system, and will have more than enough reasons not to migrate.
Dre K Ndjai
Windhoek
