THE City of uMhlathuze, once hailed as SA’s fastest growing economic hub dripping with job opportunities, now only offers work to 59.2% of its youth.
This is according to Statistics SA, showing a much bleaker figure for the region than the country’s overall youth unemployment rate of 36.1%.
The shocking redundancy of SA’s young people, particularly between the ages of 15 to 24, was last year ranked third highest in the world by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risk report.
City Manager Nhlanhla Sibeko made no secret of the dire situation for uMhlathuze at a recent business breakfast.
‘Our single biggest threat is youth unemployment,’ said Sibeko.
‘And it is our mandate to improve this. We simply cannot ignore our younger Zululanders sitting at home, indulging in drugs and consequently becoming involved in crime.
‘We must create more job opportunities by allowing for an environment in which businesses can grow,’ Sibeko said.
City Mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo promised to make city development his first priority to unlock more job opportunities in the region.
‘We identified job creation, decent work and sustainable livelihoods for inclusive growth as some of our key priorities.
‘Our mission is to do this through economic development, improving citizens’ skills and the level of education.
The mayor said it is a shame, considering the unemployment crisis, that 3 000 artisans were imported for the Medupi Power Station project.
‘It clearly shows we have a shortage of skills – a serious issue to be addressed.
‘The port must also mix more with people in this region. We need to develop a strong relationship between the City and Transnet and engage with their leaders at the highest of levels.
‘We have discovered the City’s plans and those of Transnet’s do not always mix, so these need to be aligned.’
