It’s time to be honest with ourselves – Political patronage has destroyed this country

SA yesterday commemorated the 45th anniversary of 16 June, 1976 – an event which brought the spotlight on struggling young people, daily swelling the ranks of the unemployed.

According to Statistics SA, the youth unemployment figure is standing at a staggering figure of 46.3% – an army of 7.2 million youth – some of whom are loitering the streets, idling at home or resorting to drugs and crime.

Youth hopelessness and despair, requiring a holistic and coordinated approach, is a crisis for government and society.

Former Azanian People’s Organisation president Dr Mosibudi Mangena, a former minister of science and technology, this week blamed the quality of public education as a contributing factor – “worse than South Africa under apartheid”.

Some may describe Mangena as being politically incorrect or populist, but he is known for not mincing his words.

Branded as a crime against humanity, South Africa will never see the return of the legislated system of segregation based on race, fought with blood and tears by the class of ’76. But truth be told, under the constitutional democracy we yearned for during decades of white minority rule, standards have deteriorated under ANC rule.

The once world-class rail system, power utility and infrastructure – are among many areas showing signs of collapse under a government whose deployed cadres have made it their business to plunder public funds, if revelations before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture are anything to go by.

Said Mangena: “The education of the black child – especially the poor – is at its worst, compared to South Africa under apartheid.

“In stark contrast with the past, we are failing in terms of application, because the black child can’t read or write, with discipline having gone to the dogs.

“As seen during the 1976 student revolt, education has always been in the forefront of struggle for liberation from apartheid. We are not producing young people that are needed by the economy – something contributing to youth unemployment because of the education system.”

Mangena said the ANC government could not be expected to take care of the interests of young people if it failed to do so when it came to running the affairs of the country.

“We have dismally failed the people in all respects – particularly the youth. Women and children can’t safely walk the streets. Immigration is no good and we don’t know who is in our country. We are a disappointment and young people have no reason to be proud on us,” said Mangena.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet have come up with all kinds of plans, but these seem to have failed to dent the big monster.

Under apartheid, I could easily join the queue of unemployed people at the department of labour or apply for any job. The white man on the other side of the window, who did not care to know my political affiliation, would take my identity book and say: “You are hired.”

Political deployments under the ANC are linked to who you know – not what you know.

If I were Ramaphosa, I would make use of a man like Mangena – tap into his depth of knowledge. It’s time to be honest with ourselves.