It is with great agony and frustration to see the challenges of youth unemployment that has been downplayed with no action from the leadership of the nation, of course bearing in mind the setback of COVID-19 which has been a global pandemic that has brought about great discomfort for everyone.
However, unemployment and lack of opportunities has been a topic spoken about by youth for a long time but with no ACTION! The youth of South Africa, in particular the Vaal region, is surrounded by multiple firms and offices which the youth can be able to occupy and do well. The youth have been pleading with society that older generations should vacate and surrender their positions so that young people can lead and come with solutions for young PEOPLE! It has been 26 years into democracy but not much has changed.
It is time for us youth to take things seriously, stand our ground and say that if you are not going to do it for us, you are leaving us with no choice, but to do it ourselves.
It has to start with a community, the rest will follow. The time has arrived where we want to see young people dominating and controlling the financial spectrum, having access and taking ownership. The youth is well capable of occupying positions but there is a sense of false hope given by people with power that are gaining by keeping opportunities away from young black youth by saying, ‘15 years’ work experience’. There is no way that the youth will be able to have experience without being given a chance.
The youth needs proper stable jobs and not the SETA fundings that only go for a year or two and after the contract expires, they are unemployed again. It is very disturbing that as youth with powerful voices and social media presence, we are too quiet or not radical enough about these pressing issues.
There is no one that is going to save us but ourselves. We are daily being classified as lazy and incompetent, but the truth remains that opportunities presented before us are questionable, not consistent and not sustainable.
The time has come for us as youth to create opportunities and stop waiting to be saved by business moguls and politicians who have no one’s interest at heart, but their own. The time has come for parents to support ideas of upcoming entrepreneurs without judging and seeing them as useless. The time has come for young black leaders to claim their throne in local politics with innovation and fresh ideas.
Leadership of the Vaal, especially the local government, the time has come for you to consider us in the financial domain, whether be entrepreneurship or quality jobs.
The time has come for a round table discussion in advancement for young black people.
Nkaota is a Vaal University of Technology (VUT) graduate with BTech in Public Relations Management. He also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education from VUT.
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