The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen, says not all men sitting on the side of the road, attempting to look for work, are criminals.

Klazen said this at the official opening of the Men on the Side of the Road (MSR) office in Kuisebmund, Walvis Bay.

MSR was established in 2007 and has so far registered more than 2,000 members.

Late last year, some prospective employers were robbed after offering job seekers a day's work.

While some of them may be genuinely looking for bread in exchange for their services, others could be lions in sheep's clothing, particularly those who are not registered with the organization.

But the picture of these men sitting on the side of the road, bracing for every weather condition, leaves Klazen with unsettling thoughts.

"I was just thinking about all these people sitting on the side of the road in the sun every day, hoping for some good Samaritan, somebody to stop and just pick one of them up, take them to their home to clean their yards or something, and then give them some food or a few cents that they can go home and buy for the family. A whole day without any food, water, or anything makes you really feel pity. Not all of the people setting on the side of the road are crooks; not all of them are like that."

The Men on the Side of the Road is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce unemployment by providing members with life skills, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship training to prepare them for the market and connect them with employment opportunities.