More unemployed graduates than jobs in Katima, residents lament

There are more unemployed graduates than job opportunities in Katima Mulilo, a concerned resident has said.

Following the recent Independence Day celebrations which were held in the town, Moses Kambwela highlighted the lack of youth developmental programmes, adding that this not only hinders the growth and potential of young people, but also contributes to destructive paths such as drug abuse and crime.

“It's not like these young people didn't go to school. Most of them have completed their degrees, but there are no jobs. From my point of view, I would say it’s pointless for the government to be pushing these kids to be going to study while it can't create employment. Why does the government not invest more into technical colleges [so] graduates can start their own businesses even if they do not get employment?" he wanted to know.

“You would be surprised at the number of graduates this country has and most of them do not possess the survival skills to be self-employed. This is why most of them turn out to be drug addicts and criminals, especially here in Katima."

Alcohol abuse

According to Kambwela, there is a need for youth development projects that take young people's minds off crime.

“There is a youth centre in Katima Mulilio, but it's not that functional. It's only a couple of people, mostly artists, who visit that youth centre,” he said.

He added: “The government needs to introduce more developmental programmes in Katima Mulilo. This could be sports, arts or culture. We lack that. That's why we find a lot of young people abusing alcohol at bars on weekends. They don't have other recreation systems to help them abstain from drinking alcohol.

"We have a lot of talented people in Katima who do crafts, sculptures, paintings and drawings. We have all sorts of talent here and if you visit some of these individuals, you’ll ask yourself why these people are not yet exposed to the outside world,” he said.

Kambwela also pointed at lack of access to basic information as a challenge.

“In cases where we have youth opportunities in the Katima, you find that only a small number of people take hold of such opportunities. This is usually because such information only reaches a small number of people and not everyone. So, the government really has to look at the youth, since they are the engine of the country. We can't wait till we are old. When we are unable to do anything, that's when we get opportunities. It's very difficult."

“We need a place provided by the government to accommodate artisans in welding and auto repairs, to name a few. A place where unemployed people can go freely and work,” he added.

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