Khomas jobless rate rises

Youth unemployment continues to rise in the Khomas Region with a 5% increase measured between 2014 and 2016.However, teenage pregnancies have dropped to less than 10%.These key facts were highlighted during the 2017 State of the Region Address (SORA) by governor Laura Mcleod-Katjirua yesterday, that looked at the region’s challenges and successes during the past year.Youth unemployment has risen from 32.1% in 2014 and 37.5% in 2016, she said, partly because the region continues to attract people from other parts of the country, in search of better opportunities. Mcleod-Katjirua added that as part of the successes under health in the region, teenage pregnancies decreased by 2%, from 10% overall to 8%. Meanwhile, the food bank programme has been extended to 22 354 households, covering more than 94 500 people in seven constituencies. The governor said currently three street committee members have been appointed to assist the ministry of poverty eradication with the programme and the distribution of food. The governor praised the City of Windhoek’s dedication and handling of the water crisis that has gripped the central region, leading to severe water restrictions until recently.She warned the country’s water and drought woes are not over, and that “water supply remains a major challenge”, encouraging all Namibians to use water wisely. Mcleod-Katjirua further highlighted ongoing efforts of the municipality in Windhoek to provide land and services, including the recent approval to upgrade various parts of a number of informal settlement areas with basic services. The governor noted that of concern is the HIV prevalence rate of 13% in the region, while low, is still beyond the goal of 11% set for 2014.Mcleod-Katjirua said the fact that the goal has not yet been achieved is “surely disturbing.”Education ups and downsOvercrowded classrooms in the region remain a challenge, and have “become a quality compromising factor,” the governor said. “The reality is that some schools have more than the required 25 students for pre-primary, 30 for secondary and 35 for primary school learners per teacher.”Learner enrolment into primary and secondary schools in the region increased by 4.31% between last year and this year, from 83 748 in 2016 to 87 359, of which just over 60 000 were at primary school level and the rest at secondary schools. Forty-six new classrooms were constructed in 2016 “in densely populated areas”, she said. The governor said that the presence of tent schools at some project schools is indicative of the regional directorate of education always ensuring that learners are accommodated, even with constraints. Windhoek’s two main tertiary campuses this year enrolled close to 38 000 students, with the University of Namibia hosting 25 064 students and the Namibia University of Science and Technology enrolments numbering 12 753.Some 57% of the enrolled students are female while 43% are male, the governor said. Check the pulse More than 24 400 people in the region are receiving treatment and care for HIV, while the availability of HIV counselling and testing services at every health facility in the region resulted in the close to 71 000 being tested last year. Immunisation coverage of children under five increased to 90%.The Regional AIDS Coordinating Committee (RACOC), through the Khomas Regional Council provided basic food items valued at N$180 000 to people living with HIV/Aids and orphan and vulnerable families over the past year. Mcleod-Katjirua said this programme was a critical tool to help many stick to their HIV treatment programmes. Moreover, a total of 19 659 men were circumcised in the region this past year.City movesUnder the mass housing programme, the municipality and the land ministry are currently installing municipal services at a portion of Goreangab, on 65.5 hectares of land that will yield a total of 314 erven, the governor said. She highlighted the city’s on-going multi-million project, the City of Windhoek has provided individual house connections to recently formalised homes in Havana and will connect more homes in Otjomuise, Katutura and Havana when finances allow. On a negative note, she said while there was an 8% reduction in robberies and burglaries in Windhoek, crime remains a serious concern. On a regional level, 36 571 cases were reported to the Namibian police in 2016.JANA-MARI SMITH

Khomas jobless rate rises

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-07

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Khomas jobless rate rises

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-07

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