The |Khomanin Traditional Authority claims that assistance provided by the National Statistics Agency (NSA) in response to the outcry of disadvantaged communities without internet access to apply for jobs in the upcoming national census has been all but helpful.
Applicants arrived as early as nine o'clock to seize the opportunity to apply for the Census vacancies at the residence of Gaos Juliane Gawa!Nas of the |Khomanin Traditional Authority,
The assistance was provided by the NSA to help technologically disadvantaged individuals with the online application.
However, because of poor service, only two out of approximately 30 to 40 applications were successfully loaded.
The senior traditional councillor, Walter Haseb, says the community has presented the NSA with two alternatives.
"We have requested the NSA as stakeholders and gave two recommendations: Number 1: reschedule the closing date for a month so that we can look at the modalities and how we can accommodate our youth for them to be part of the application process. Secondly, if you cannot postpone, receive the hard copy of the CVs we have submitted to your office."
Haseb says their demands are crucial if youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are to receive a fair chance.
Applicants say most of the requirements are costly.
Community youth activist Jerome |HaraǂGaeb says the individuals sent by the NSA were unable to help them and were also unable to answer most of their questions.
He dismissed the belief that 'black people don't want to look for jobs'.
"The Census individuals that were sent to assist us were unable to assist, and they are discriminating against us in all kinds of ways as they say that black people don't want to come to look for such jobs. Secondly, they are telling us to go scan documents, but we have insufficient funds to go scan documents; there is no money."
NSA Corporate Communications Manager Iipumbu Sakaria responded that the NSA has reached out to the |Khomanin Traditional Authority, adding that the organisation does not mean to exclude anyone from the process.
Sakaria emphasised that the system is simple to navigate, and the NSA remains firm in its intent to recruit from all 121 constituencies.
The NSA has also extended the due date for the census vacancy application to just before midnight on the 5th of July.