Thousands of young people excitedly welcomed Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi at Rhema Bible Church in Randburg where the first group of applicants who registered for Nasi Ispani programme received employment letters.
More than 7 000 youths were given letters as the first phase in activating the programme that aims to create 500 000 jobs. They filled in forms with the organisations that will provide the skills to help them find jobs.
The department has provided R8.4 billion to implement the programme. Nationally, the expenditure stands at R23.7 billion on labour activation initiatives.
On April 13 and 14, unemployed youth were asked to go to schools where they could register on the employment system of the labour department, called Essa.
Companies that have collaborated with the provincial government were at the venue to meet their prospective trainees face-to-face. Among the many sectors involved are security services, town planning, technological innovation, cosmetics, beauty, industry, farming, real estate, textiles and clothing, finance, and construction.
The young people will be trained to assemble computers and fix cell phones while in the fuel retail sector, they can work as cashiers, petrol attendants and merchandisers.
Nasi Ispani was introduced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to address youth unemployment in the province.
The move has attracted a lot of criticism from opposition parties that complained that Lesufi was using the initiative to get people to vote for the ruling party this month.
Lesufi has rejected the criticism, saying he is dealing with youth unemployment, which is a national problem.
Speaking to the youth, he also took time to address the critics and assured the selected young people that the programme was not politically affiliated.
“We don’t know each other; we are meeting for the first time, and I do not know which political party you support but today you are here on the basis of your application and nothing else. So, anyone that will accuse this government that we are recruiting people on the basis of their political affiliation – the majority of you here even hate the political party that I come from, but we have given you an opportunity today.”
He added that he does not just promise – he delivers and in the next months the selected youth will receive their incomes.
He also encouraged the selected youth to make use of the opportunity and not disappoint them.
“I am not ready to answer to my enemies, but you are the ones who will go and answer for me. Whether they like it or not, you guys are hired today.”
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