Allexer Namundjembo
Namibians on social media and residents of the Zambezi region have backed calls to include the San community in job opportunities at the Ndoro Memorial Combined School hostel.
The school is located in Omega Three, Kongola Constituency, Zambezi region.
The protest began after no one from the San community was appointed to the 12 advertised hostel positions.
The hostel was scheduled to open two weeks, coinciding with the start of the school term, but following the recruitment results, parents withdrew their children from classes. Some pupils have not attended school for the past two days.
Activist and Zambezi resident Kwala Dobson said San people should benefit from employment opportunities in their area.
“San people are also skilled in various trades, from vocational education to higher institutions of learning,” he told the Windhoek Observer.
Dobson called for the recruitment process to be redone.
“Yes, they should repeat the process. They should cancel what took place and at least use 60% local and 40% outsiders. This means that if there are nine job positions available, six should be allocated to San and three to outsiders,” he said.
Kwala added that while people move to other areas for work, jobs in the community should prioritise locals.
“The job advert should state that first preference is for local residents, or applicants should have accommodation within the working area,” he said.
He also claimed that San people are often mistreated and that regional councils fail to promote local participation in opportunities.
Community spokesperson Dennis Munyingwa said unemployment among the San is high, yet they are often excluded.
“If you still deny me an opportunity to work, how will I provide for my kids? I am a youth with qualifications, and I applied,” he said.
Another protester told NBC she had applied but was left out despite living in the community.
During the protest, a learner expressed concern about safety.
“We live in the park. There are predators such as lions and wild dogs always around the school. At night we cannot sleep while hearing animals roaring. We are not happy seeing the hostel locked while we suffer outside. We were supposed to enter last week. We will not rest until our cries are heard,” the learner said.
School principal Sipopo Linus told the media the matter lies with the regional education directorate, which is attending to it.
The Ndoro Memorial Combined School hostel has been under construction since 2016 and remains incomplete eight years later.
Built at a cost of N$57 million, it can accommodate about 650 pupils. The school, serving learners from pre-primary to Grade 11 in Omega Three and nearby villages in Bwabwata National Park, still has no electricity or clean water.
Last year, Linus said the available water is unsafe due to the mineral belt. The school shares a single tap with the community.
The National Africa Students Association spokesperson, Muzani Muzani, previously called the delay unacceptable and a sign of neglect by both government and contractors.
The community has vowed to continue its boycott until authorities meet their demands for fair employment and improved safety for children.
