IT has become the norm, if not a daily feature to find a beggar at every traffic light in Durban.While individual reasons may differ as to how they ended up begging on the streets, seeing a graduate holding a placard begging for a job brings the shocking reality of the high unemployment rate in this country into focus. Standing at traffic intersection in Morningside, Phelelani Ncwane, who has numerous qualifications in Aviation, says the position he now finds himself in will not discourage him from moving forward in life.
“I have come a long way. I am not going to let this situation get the better of me, either way I am going forward. I am just yearning for an opportunity to prove my worth to any potential employer, that is all that I want,” he said.
Ncwane is a cabin crew license holder in customer service and environment. He is qualified in cabin crew Airport operations, International air cargo service, Airport and customer service and is also recreational open water diver with under water photography experience. When asked about how he braved the “humiliation” and overcame the pressure, Ncwane says he does not regard his current state as humiliation but one of the many lessons he has had to go through.
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“We have families that are dependent on us and it gets to a point were you feel like you are suffocating and hungry for opportunities. I have to do everything it takes to get closer to my goal. I was exposed to customer service for five years, I used to work at Shaka Marine and that is where I developed an interest in aviation. I had to resign from my job because my studies demanded that I attend class on a full time basis. I even went to Johannesburg to try find a job, but no luck,” he said.
According to Statistics SA’s labour force survey, the unemployment rate stands at 26.5% and, at 31.2%, is even higher among the youth. Graduates make up 7% of this number. A study commissioned by the Development Bank of SA in 2010 found that a young South African who gets and keeps their first job for 12 months or more, has an 85% chance of being employed for the rest of their lives.
If anyone can help, contact Phelelani Ncwane on 073 982 4295 or SP.Ncwane22@gmail.com.
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