Urban poverty ravishing Witvlei
The lack of employment opportunities for residents, especially the youth, at Witvlei in the Omaheke Region continues to haunt the close-knit community.
Residents bemoan the fact that with the exception of a primary school, a clinic and the village council offices, no major employers exist here. The closure of the Witvlei abattoir in November 2014 has affected the community of less than 5 000 and the entire region negatively. The abattoir employed 165 people which made it the biggest employment provider within the private sector in the region, at the time.
In separate interviews, the residents said the situation has become so bad that many young people are often forced by circumstances into committing petty crime.
Piet Titus, an elderly resident of Witvlei, said the situation at home has driven his children out of the house to fend for themselves as he is unable to feed them on his meagre old age pension. He said while most of his children dropped out of school at primary school level, it was disheartening to see them going in and out of jail for the petty crimes they so often commit.
“It is not easy for a parent to see your kids going to jail, but it is even more difficult seeing them starving in front of you,” he said.
The more than 20 shebeens that thrive in the small community do not make the situation any easier.
“Alcohol seems to be the only thing that is freely available at this town. No wonder our children are drunk almost any given day and time,” another elderly resident, Albertina Cloete said.
Other issues that are rife in the community, according to residents, include a high rate of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts. Many children drop out of school because parents cannot afford to send them to high school elsewhere.
As a result, most children drop out of school after Grade 7.
According to the regional profile of Omaheke, as provided by the Office of the Governor, urban poverty remains a huge problem in Witvlei, Leonardville, Otjinene and Gobabis.
At the end of April 2017, 7 756 beneficiaries were registered for social grants in the Omaheke Region. A total of 5 964 beneficiaries received old age grants and 1 792 are registered for disability grants.
– Nampa
Charles Tjatindi
Residents bemoan the fact that with the exception of a primary school, a clinic and the village council offices, no major employers exist here. The closure of the Witvlei abattoir in November 2014 has affected the community of less than 5 000 and the entire region negatively. The abattoir employed 165 people which made it the biggest employment provider within the private sector in the region, at the time.
In separate interviews, the residents said the situation has become so bad that many young people are often forced by circumstances into committing petty crime.
Piet Titus, an elderly resident of Witvlei, said the situation at home has driven his children out of the house to fend for themselves as he is unable to feed them on his meagre old age pension. He said while most of his children dropped out of school at primary school level, it was disheartening to see them going in and out of jail for the petty crimes they so often commit.
“It is not easy for a parent to see your kids going to jail, but it is even more difficult seeing them starving in front of you,” he said.
The more than 20 shebeens that thrive in the small community do not make the situation any easier.
“Alcohol seems to be the only thing that is freely available at this town. No wonder our children are drunk almost any given day and time,” another elderly resident, Albertina Cloete said.
Other issues that are rife in the community, according to residents, include a high rate of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts. Many children drop out of school because parents cannot afford to send them to high school elsewhere.
As a result, most children drop out of school after Grade 7.
According to the regional profile of Omaheke, as provided by the Office of the Governor, urban poverty remains a huge problem in Witvlei, Leonardville, Otjinene and Gobabis.
At the end of April 2017, 7 756 beneficiaries were registered for social grants in the Omaheke Region. A total of 5 964 beneficiaries received old age grants and 1 792 are registered for disability grants.
– Nampa
Charles Tjatindi
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