Uutoni asks ‘struggle kids’ to go home

ONDANGWA, 17 JUN  – Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Erastus Uutoni advised ‘children of the liberation struggle’ to leave their camping sites and go back home and wait for Government to call them for training.
The ‘struggle kids’ are camping at the Swapo Oshana Regional Office in Oshakati and Ondangwa Airport and are demanding to be taken up for Government employment or civic training at Berg Aukas near Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa Region.
Addressing them on Friday and Saturday at the two sites respectively, Uutoni explained that the economic hardship Government is facing does not allow for all of them to be called for training at once.
“The government is facing the shortage of both financial and human resources, as well as sufficient training centre space, to have all children of the liberation struggle trained at the same time,” he informed them.
He stated that verifications for them to be recruited for training will be done at their respective constituencies and thus urged them to go back to their home constituencies for regional recruitment.
Uutoni further noted that the 300 ‘struggle kids’ undergoing training at Berg Aukas have to complete their training first before a new group could be recruited and this will depend on the availability of resources.
The group, he added, completed their six-month civic training last month. Currently, they are undergoing skills training up to November this year.
The coordinator of the Swapo Party in the Oshana Region, Samuel Nelongo on Friday confirmed that the office spends N.dollars 1 440 in water consumption and up to N.dollars 3 000 for the sewerage system charges monthly “because of the struggle kids”.
Those camping at Ondangwa told the minister that they will not go back home, arguing: “We are tired of waiting, we noticed that only those camping are mostly considered for training and employment opportunities.”
More than 3 000 ‘struggle kids’ have since 2008 been registered for the government civic and skills training programme.

NAMPA