WATCH: March to Ford Motor Company ahead of Youth Day to demand jobs

A group of young people from Mamelodi, Nellmapius, and Eersterust marched to Ford Motor Company’s headquarters and the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone ahead of Youth Day.

The Tshwane Bahlali Dudula movement urged automotive companies to recruit young, unemployed candidates with skills and credentials.

Especially those who are struggling to provide for themselves and their families in the townships.

ALSO READ: There’s lots of work to be done to build a better SA – Ramaphosa

Youth march for jobs

They are complaining about the high rate of unemployment in their community, whereas there are automotive companies operating within their vicinity but not contributing to the reduction of unemployment and community development.

While Tshwane Bahlali Dudula’s campaign has always been about emphasising the threat of South Africans losing employment to other countries, organizer Khutso Smesh Semetjane said they targeted the two economic nodes because they wanted them to recruit young people from nearby areas rather than individuals from far away.

SA youth being left behind

In June, the Tshwane Bahlali Dudula Movement accused the management at the Lion Match factory in Rosslyn, north of Pretoria of hiring more foreigners than South Africans.

They complained that the company has hired 80% foreign nationals and 20% South Africans.

Management at the Lion Match factory denied the claims by the movement.

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his weekly newsletter said while the latest employment figures give some cause for optimism – with the creation of 370,000 jobs in the first quarter of this year – there is still a huge mountain to climb in government’s quest to create more jobs, especially for young people and unemployed youth.

“Our foremost priority as government is to achieve higher rates of inclusive growth that generate sustainable jobs at the scale of social need.

“However, we cannot simply wait for higher growth to create jobs, especially for young people. I hold the view that even as millions of people are unemployed, there is no shortage of work to be done to build a better South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.

According to Stats SA, youth unemployment in South Africa is at 66.5%.

Ramsaphosa said no society can expect to grow or thrive when the vast majority of its young people are out of work.

ALSO READ: ‘Social grants aren’t helping our youth’, leader of 1976 Soweto uprising tells government