Angry members of Pienaar Youth Movement marched to the Mbombela Civic Centre, demanding jobs and improved service.
They walked from the Promenade to the civic centre last week. Protesters were shouting, “We are hungry and angry”.
According to the movement’s members, more than 50 per cent of young people in their area are unemployed. There is a newly built and unused Job Linkage Centre that can bring about change in the community.
They say it will stimulate economic growth as per the Mbombela Local Economic Development Strategy review of 2015.
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Pienaar Youth Movement is an organisation that represents the unemployed youth of Pienaar. Its demands included the immediate opening of the Job Linkage Centre, that was completed in 2017 in KaMsogwaba, and the start of Nkosi City’s construction.
These are set to create much-needed job and business opportunities for many young people from this area. Protesters called for the reconstruction of roads in their areas, such as Lihawa, Gedlembane, Msongwaba to Tekwane North and Zwelisha to Phakane.
The opening of the Sikhulile Circuit in KaMsogwaba and employment at that circuit must be prioritised strictly for Pienaar residents. The City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM) must engage with the Department of Education regarding all economic value chains, such as feeding schemes, within all schools.
Members demanded the creation of a dumping site or a waste management centre. They also insisted on CMLM providing them with the equity documents with a clear demographic emphasis that illustrates the employment and economic benefit of young people in the area.
According to Moses Mlombo, one of the protesters, the municipality needs to intervene because the community and the youth are not happy.
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“We have so many questions about the number of unemployed people here. What worries us the most is that we can see so many opportunities around us. “We have facilities that are not functioning, and if the municipality opens them a number of jobs will be created. We are not treated like other areas. We feel that things need to change so that we all benefit equally,” he explained.
CMLM spokesperson, Joseph Ngala acknowledge that he had received questions regarding the matter. “The protesters delivered a list of demands to which responses should be given within a stipulated time frame. It would not be correct to respond to them via the media,” he explained.
The members of the movement gave the municipality seven days to respond to their list of demands. At the time of going to press, the ruling party, the ANC could not be drawn to comment.
