The Oshana Regional Council has reserved 45 casual jobs for local residents to construct toilets across all constituencies, sparking debate over ‘locals first’ employment policies.
In a recent advertisement, the council said only applicants from certain villages within each constituency would be considered for shortlisting.
The toilets are to be constructed in all 11 constituencies.
The advert comes just weeks after the Hardap Regional Council was condemned for a similar ‘locals first’ recruitment policy.
Oshana Regional Council chairperson Andreas Uutoni defended the decision.
He said people from other regions could be considered to work on the project if they have partners from the villages benefiting from the programme or if they are residents of those villages.
“We are not going to prevent others from nearby villages. If we fail to get suitable candidates from the selected villages, we can get from the next villages,” he said.
He could not say how many toilets are going to be constructed, but he said it is a “reasonable number”.
Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has thrown his weight behind the council’s decision.
“If toilets are being constructed at a particular village, why would you bring in unemployed people from another village to work there? What happens to those who are already living in that village?” Sankwasa asks.
He says there is nothing discriminatory about reserving temporary jobs for locals.
“It would only be discriminatory if these were permanent jobs,” the minister says.
Sankwasa questions the logic behind prioritising outsiders when local young people remain unemployed.
“You want to bring people from another village to build toilets when that village has its own unemployed people? It doesn’t make sense.
“Why should someone leave their village to build a toilet at another, while unemployed young people in that same village are available? No, no. Our people must know what to complain about,” he says.
According to the regional council’s advertisement, candidates must be Namibian citizens with proof of residence from their headmen or constituency offices.
The positions that were advertised on 10 October are for 15 casual labourers (team leaders) and 30 casual (assistants).
The due date is 31 October.
“Only applicants from selected villages of the specific constituency will be considered for shortlisting,” the notice reads.
“For casual labour (team leaders, a reference letter from the headman or constituency offices confirming that you are from the selected village, their knowledge or skills and experience of bricklaying and that you are unemployed,” the advert reads.
SKILLS ISSUE
Landless People’s Movement northern leader Moses Silas says he does not support the ‘jobs for locals’ approach, arguing that some villages may not have people with the skills needed to complete the project.
“Last time, when people from the south said they would give priority to locals, it was politicised and condemned as tribalism. Now, in this case, what is it called?” he asks.
“You can go anywhere in Namibia, people are looking for jobs. Do the selected locals even have the capacity and skills to do the work, or do they just want to give the jobs to their own people? We don’t support that.”
About two weeks ago, the Hardap Regional Council issued a directive instructing government offices and agencies in the region to prioritise local residents for employment.
Public Service Commission chairperson Salmaan Jacobs at the time described the practice as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
He said all Namibians are constitutionally entitled to seek employment in any part of the country, provided they meet the job requirements.
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