KEETMANSHOOP: Kharas Regional Council chairperson, Joseph Isaacks has directed council officials to include local language proficiency as a mandatory condition for all vacancies in the regional government.

Isaacks made the statement during a staff meeting here on Tuesday. He said other regional councils have language proficiency conditions in advertisements for vacancies and it is time for ||Kharas to follow suit, adding that the region’s inhabitants are identified by the languages they speak, which are Khoekhoegowab and Afrikaans.

‘This is a distinctive mark of a southerner and if you cannot speak those two languages then you are new in the region or you are not interested. I have said this before, but this time I will follow up with action – our people should get the jobs in this region, we must pull everything at our disposal together to turn the tables around. The green hydrogen and oil sectors are on our doorsteps, we should ensure that the people of the region are given preference in all social econom
ic opportunities,’ Isaacks stated.

The chairperson urged council staff members to refrain from bidding for tenders at the council, and urged them not to misuse their positions and provide information to friends that could give them an unfair advantage over other bidders.

‘Do not take bribes, refrain from corruption and nepotism, give equal opportunities to all in the region, restorative and social justice is the name of the game. It does not matter if the project is a national project or not, all procurement should be done at regional level, our people in the region should get those jobs. The big issue with tenders being awarded to bidders from outside is that they come with their own workers while our people continue to be subjected to hunger and poverty,’ said the chairperson.

Isaacks further noted the economic potential of the Neckartal Dam outside Keetmanshoop, emphasising employment opportunities. He called on administrators in the regional council to be innovative and to ensure that the second phase
of the dam, the irrigation scheme, is implemented to ensure employment opportunities for inhabitants of the region.

‘We still face challenges with employment that excludes the people of the region. This year will mark reshuffling in the mining sector, we will not condone unequal distribution of resources and inequity. If we want to fight social ills such as hunger, poverty, landlessness and unemployment, we need to create opportunities for our people,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency