Become employment creators, not job seekers: Kameeta

GOBABIS, 20 JUL – Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Minister, Zephania Kameeta has implored young people to cease being job seekers and instead seek opportunities for self-employment.
Kameeta said there are numerous opportunities through which young people can elevate themselves out of poverty and in turn become employment creators for others.
The minister, who was speaking during the opening of the Ohorongo Cement-Build It Brickmaking Academy Training here on Wednesday, said the current economic downturns and the rise in technology use would make future jobs scares.
He said many companies have already switched to using machines or computerised their systems, which in turn meant that fewer people are employed today than a few years ago.
“It will not be a surprise to find that even cashiers are replaced by machines in years to come, therefore, it is important that you become self-employed instead of running around looking for jobs,” he said.
Applauding the Ohorongo Cement-Build It Brickmaking Academy Training, Kameeta said the responsibility to fight poverty cannot be left to government alone, describing poverty as a “social disease”.
He said the war against poverty and inequality calls for concerted efforts and for people to move together in the same direction in the spirit of government’s Harambee Prosperity Plan.
“Poverty takes away the dignity of our people and renders them hopeless, therefore it needs to be the top priority and there should be a realisation that social justice is a prerequisite for economic growth,” he said.
The minister said initiatives such as the Ohorongo Cement-Build It Brickmaking Academy Training are the future of employment as the skills imparted into the trainees will remain with them forever.
The academy has to date trained about 262 people in brickmaking, while 30 more have been added with the training in Gobabis.
The trainees are drawn from all 14 regions of the country.
The programme was launched in March 2017 in Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region and was shortly thereafter rolled out to other regions, with Omaheke being the last stop.
(NAMPA)