The Landless People's Movement's (LPM) Chief Change Campaigner is calling upon the Namibian government, parastatals, and companies, particularly in the mining sector, to allocate at least a quarter of their job placements to local residents.

Bernadus Swartbooi was speaking at a media conference in Tsumeb.

Swartbooi says the LPM is ready and willing to engage leaders of the mines in and around Tsumeb towards ensuring that residents of the town benefit first when job opportunities arise.

"We have competencies to engage with these people, and we will communicate soon with them so that communities from here are the first in line for jobs, not to be spectators and see how others from other areas are driving the best cars, wearing the best clothing, and living in the best houses, yet here they don't even eat millie pap."

He says residents have been surviving on drought relief for too long now.

Swartbooi also noted the need to provide toilets in Kuvukiland.

"Why don't they go take loans to build at least two hundred toilets from a community point of view, and then later they can face the question of taps and sanitation to every home because here in Saamstaan and Kuvukiland, which is just like in rural areas, but you are in Tsumeb."