POLOKWANE – Unemployed graduate Mmachuene Manamela has appealed to the government to assist other unemployed graduates with monthly grants while they wait to be employed.
Manamela has a B. Com law degree from Pearson Institute of Higher Education in Pretoria said it is painful to see graduates loiter and roam around the streets without any form of employment.
“They are hurting and I would love to see the government assist them with funding. You have to apply online for most of the vacancies and data is expensive. Most of us don’t have money to purchase those requirements. A lot of unemployed graduates are depressed and despondent and I think that a grant will give them hope.”
She added that they need more internship programmes and that more should be done to reduce the high rate of unemployment that wreaks havoc in graduates’ lives. “Even if there are no vacancies, more internship programmes will ease their burden. The graduates will be able to get more experience in their field of study and profession.”
The 26-year-old Manamela owns a small confectionery shop in Mahlasedi Park where she sells cakes, muffins, rusks, cupcakes and sweets. “The shop helps me keep busy but it is not enough to sustain me. I hope to be employed at a law firm soon.”
She said she is pessimistic about this year’s prospects. “With the current state of the economy in the country and how things are done in the country, I am not convinced that things will change,” she concluded.
For more breaking news follow us on Facebook Twitter Instagram or join our WhatsApp group or Telegram channel.
