Youth unemployment and women’s empowerment are major challenges to be tackled by the City of Johannesburg.
This was said by councillor Christine Walters, MMC for Community Development at the Region E Community Consultation Summit at the Alexandra campus of the Central Johannesburg College.
She said Mayor Parks Tau would soon announce strategies to deal with these challenges, which if not curbed could lead to an increase in the level of crime and civic unrest. Emphasising the challenges Walters said, ”Regardless of the quality of passes in matric or university, work experience is always made a selection criteria which inhibits them [youths] from getting stable work opportunities.
“In addition, other requirements like psychometric tests disadvantage them [youths] as the tests seem to focus on detecting their disposition to crime, rather than their potential in the work place if given a chance to prove themselves.”
She added that Tau’s announcement would explore ways of engaging the private sector for partnerships which could create positive economic and social environments for youth employment. “He [the mayor] has declared service delivery as a priority for the city and would like a model developed for this delivery through youth job creation,” she said.
Walters further stated that the city had prioritised women’s employment and participation in viable economic activities. “The Integrated Development Plans are always advertising opportunities for small micro, medium size enterprises and co-operatives for women, but always women do not respond to the advert.”
She said the MMC for Economic Development would explore strategies such as training to get women to respond to these opportunities.
In addition she disclosed some of the city council’s 2014/15 multi-million rand priority projects in Alexandra. They include the upgrading of 14th Avenue and Thoko Mngoma clinics, development of linear markets at Pan Africa, the rehabilitation of Jukskei river, construction of a pedestrian bridge on Vincent Tshabalala Road, and the upgrading of 7th Avenue people’s court among others. The roll out of the Rea Vaya public transport will be the most expensive project costing R586 million.
