NAMIBIA has southern Africa’s highest unemployment rate, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has revealed.
Unemployment is a measure of the percentage of people who are able and willing to work but cannot find jobs. The NSA’s manager for social statistics Linda Shitenga told The Namibian on Friday the country’s unemployment rate of 36.9% is the highest in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
This means about 320 450 Namibians are unemployed. Namibia is followed by Eswatini at 34.2% and South Africa at 32.6%, according to statistics from the International Labour Organisation.
The other member states’ unemployment rates are below 30%, including Botswana (24.4%), Lesotho (16.9%), Angola (15.8%) and Zimbabwe (11.5%).
Namibia’s rate has been disputed by economists and experts, who say the state statistics agency’s specific definition of unemployment – which excludes discouraged jobseekers – resulted in a lower figure. They believe an unemployment rate over 50% is more accurate, according to the definition used in 2018.
Economist Omu Kakujaha-Matundu said yesterday the factors that led to the high unemployment rate in Namibia are not much different from those in the region. He said, however, “there are some that are particular to Namibia, such as a very small market and small private sector; competition from South Africa which enjoys economies of scale, resulting in a narrow manufacturing base for Namibia; distance to lucrative markets; and prolonged droughts, which make Namibia highly reliant on food exports and forces labour off the land”.
Kakujaha-Matundu further said there is high reliance on the mining sector, which doesn’t deliver a high level of employment.
“The list is not exhaustive. I have left many out deliberately as they are just playing in the hands of the detractors, such as the low skills base,” he added.
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah said yesterday the unemployment rate should raise concerns.
“It reflects deep economic challenges, including slow job creation, reliance on extractive industries and a struggling informal sector,” he said. The labour statistics from the NSA do not indicate the participation of the workforce in the informal sector.
Kamwanyah added out that the current education system is also not fully aligned with job market needs.
“Urgent action is needed to support local industries, small businesses and skills development to address this crisis,” he urged.
Unionist Mahongora Kavihuha last week said Namibia’s systems do not work coherently, in reference to ministries being absent at the release of the labour statistics.
“They need to change that so that when we are talking about the issues of youth unemployment, we can correlate to the statistics in the education sector, so that we see how best we can deal with those situations,” he said.
‘NOT SURPRISING’
Some politicians have said they are not surprised by the statistics, and place blame on the government for the status quo. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker Inna Hengari told The Namibian yesterday the country is facing a crisis.
“[A crisis] we have warned about time and time again. The future of our youth is bleak, and we have no one to blame but ourselves,” she said.
She bemoaned the process of her motion on youth unemployment, which was passed in 2021 and has yet to reach parliament.
“This delay is unacceptable … The situation in our country is deteriorating. There is absolutely no political will to address this crisis. No real efforts are being made, and I fear that if we continue down this path, things will only get worse,” Hengari said.
PDM member Maximalliant Katjimune believes the statistics indicate the government’s failure to prioritise the needs of young people, particularly in regards to the youth unemployment crisis.
“It is a very dangerous predicament to have hundreds and thousands of young people unemployed, frustrated and roaming the streets,” he said
National Unity Democratic Organisation member of parliament Joseph Kauandenge said these statistics are disheartening, compared with other SADC countries which lack Namibia’s natural resources. “Our country should be paradise on earth.”
He said the unemployment rate was the result of mismanagement, corruption and misplaced priorities. He also expressed concern that unemployed graduates would become agitated over time. “[The unemployment rate] shows that Namibia is a ticking bomb, where sooner than later the anger and frustration of our young people will eventually explode in all our faces,” he added.
Landless People’s Movement spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa expressed concern about the lack of active economic transformation yesterday, especially related to some of the targets of Vision 2030.
Simataa added that his party are also aware of the divide between the rich and poor, saying that it will become more evident when examining the specifics of the 46% of Namibians – according to the 2018 definition of unemployment – who are employed.
“How many of those in the 46% have liveable wages and salaries?” he questioned.
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