Africa-Press – Namibia. THE secretary general of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), Joseph Kaundenge, supports the idea of the government introducing a regional quota for national recruitment programmes.
He said yesterday the employment quota system would give all regions in the country a fair share of representation in public institutions.
Kauandenge yesterday took issue with the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS), claiming the list of those shortlisted for recruitment into the service mainly contains names from one ethnic group.
“We are not sure whether this outcome is by design or pure coincidence. However, this is a serious slap in the face of the doctrine of ‘One Namibia, one nation’.
“Namibia is experiencing one of the highest unemployment rates, especially among the youth,” Kauandenge said in his statement.
The written test followed more than 15 000 applicants undergoing physical tests at various correctional facilities countrywide.
“This outcome paints a bitter picture of ethnic exclusion, and it seems to be engineered deliberately by those in charge of this exercise,” he said.
“We must put it on record that those who made it to the shortlist are equally Namibians and deserve all opportunities made available to them.
“But it raises questions and red flags when one ethnic group dominates,” he said.
For the sake of diversity and national cohesion, Kauandenge said the NCS management could have foreseen the impact of their decision.
“Why are we not seeing names like Van Wyk, Swartbooi or Kauandenge and those names? Why are they missing from that list if this was a national exercise?
“If you’re recruiting in your company, you have to be sensitive about this issue,” he said.
“Are we saying only those from that particular region can really outperform the rest of the country?” he asked.
Kauandenge said a quota system for national employment schemes would help promote diversity in Namibia.
Meanwhile, NCS spokesperson commissioner Michael Mulisa says Kauandenge was referring to the list of candidates who wrote a test in Windhoek yesterday.
He says the names of other applicants who were shortlisted for the written test have been posted at various correctional institutions countrywide.
Mulisa says he has requested more information from the service’s human resources department to determine what transpired, before he can respond to Kauandenge’s assertions.
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