One of the main planks of South Africa's apartheid policy, both in South Africa and in Namibia, has been the control of the black workforce. However, in Namibia this system is in difficulties and there is a growing number of unemployed black people in the urban areas, especially in Windhoek. A combination of factors has exacerbated the plight of the African people.
The Namibian economy, geared to the needs of foreign companies and a small white elite, only generates a relatively small number of jobs for black people. These are concentrated in the white farming sector, domestic service, and in the mining industry. Only a small number of black Namibians have access to administrative or professional jobs.
In October 1977, a number of the "pass laws" enforced in Namibia were repealed, allowing blacks for instance to stay in urban areas indefinitely. Previously, they could only stay for 72 hours. However, they can still not seek or accept work without permission. This, and the intensification of the war in the north, led to a growing stream of black people coming south in search of work.
Rates of unemployment have been variously estimated. The leader of the right-wing Aktur group, Mr. van Zijl, estimated, d that there are 40,000 unemployed workers, while another source reckons that concealed unemployment is running at 30%, out of a potentially economically active population of 320,000. According to this calculation, Namibia's labour force is growing at about 2.6% (by 9,100 a year or 35 a day), and the economy cannot absorb additional employment on this scale.
While the regime has little concern to alleviate the poverty of the black population, it has become increasingly worried about the political effects that may result from having a large number of unemployed blacks in the towns where whites live in affluence.
Recently, the Administrator General proposed drastic measures, aimed more at controlling the black population than at creating genuine employment opportunities. He suggested provisions for the registration of both employers and employees, the introduction of a labour bureau, protection against competition from foreign workers, and the possibility of declaring a person 'idle' which would presumably allow the authorities to introduce a form of forced labour.
At the annual general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of SWA, the organisation's President stressed that the problem of unemployment was becoming graver by the day, and showed his concern at the political consequences this could have. "When one has an average of 20-25 people a day who knock at your door, telling you that they are looking for work, the message is brought home that revolutions always start on empty stomachs", he said. He suggested a number of "remedies" which in no way tackle the fundamental problem of unemployment in Namibia. Amongst the projects he suggested were: street-cleaning by all municipalities should be done by manual labour; creation of "employment" in the homelands' by inventing various schemes such as clearing of thorn-bushes and woodcutting; road-building, telephone cable laying, and other long-term projects.
A symposium on unemployment opened on 6 May, bringing together officials and representatives of the private sector to discuss the problem.
The desperate plight of unemployed blacks was illustrated when between 500 and 1000 people arrived outside a newly built venison processing plant in Windhoek. They had heard rumours that there were job vacancies. In fact the German-controlled factory only needed about 100 people.
One unemployed man told a reporter: "For six months I walked the streets of this town, from workshop to workshop, looking for a job. I have no bad record, have never been in Court, or charged with any offence, but I cannot find a job."
A woman said there were hundreds of her contemporaries looking for work. She needed to work to supplement her husband's income to feed her three children. Already her rent in Katutura was in arrears. "We are in arrears and we are facing trouble," she said.
Police raids on residential areas housing Ovambo-speaking people have been connected with the unemployment problem, and the fear of growing political militancy. According to one report, SWAPO support has rocketed in recent months, and hundreds of young people are likely to leave the country to join SWAPO guerillas.
The regime has suppressed any attempt by people to voice their grievances. Workers in Katutura planned to organise a meeting to discuss the problems they face of being unemployed and living in overcrowded conditions in hostels that are filthy. One organiser apparently obtained permission from the Municipality, but was arrested when he tried to get a permit from the Magistrate.
