WeeklySA_AdminTHE appalling state of unemployment amongst the youth in South Africa could be a powder keg ready to explode at any time unless drastic measures are found by government and business to address the situation.
According to the Latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey published recently by StatsSA, unemployment among youths aged between 15 and 34 years was 16,3 percent. Compounding this situation is that nearly 10 percent of these youths are university graduates. In an effort to address this challenge, Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, while presenting her parliamentary budget this week, announced that there were urgent moves by government to introduce a new universal monthly basic grant for the youth between 15 and 34 years. This would bring some relief –albeit temporarily – to the thousands of youths who are currently roaming the streets and glaring at a gloomy future. We also welcome the proposed plans by government to waive the requirement for experience for entry-level jobs. This has always been a stumbling block for graduates seeking employment for the first time.
With the government currently facing a fiscal crisis, government must move swiftly in bringing to book the fat cats who have looted the financial resources of this country of billions of rands – and if convicted, seek an order to make them pay the stolen money that would not only help resolve the unemployment crisis but also alleviate poverty. Our youths cannot afford to suffer while there are people who are languishing in luxury after stealing the money, part of which was supposed to create jobs.
The government must activate this plan as soon as possible and avoid a situation where South Africa’s unemployed youths are reduced to a purposeless future. A caring government is judged by the way it cares for its future leaders – the youth.
COVID CARNAGE – WORLD REELS
No doubt the Covid-19 pandemic has visited upon the human race the greatest tragedy this generation and the previous one would have imagined possible in a lifetime, creating a debilitating day-by-day suspense that keeps the world on a constant cliffhanger.
Ominously, the pandemic has caused a carnage that has clogged hospitals and morgues across the world beyond their capacities, causing irreparable damage to both health systems and economies. Along with the carnage caused by the pandemic, there has been a string of deaths unrelated to the outbreak occurring simultaneously on an unprecedented scale to cast a dark shadow on the world today.
The latest to succumb to death this week – among other the luminaries of our society – was respected football administrator Cyril Kobus, followed by celebrated crooner Steve Kekana and actor Mutodi Neshehe, actress Shaleen Surtie-Richards recently and actors Luzuko Nteleko earlier this week. Not forgetting thousands of other people whose deaths would ordinarily have passed off as a statistic since the outbreak of the pandemic.
In Kobus, the local football fraternity has undoubtedly lost one of its most loyal and influential figures of all time – one who was endowed vision and courage to shape the course of its professional arm during difficult times in this country. There were many instances in the history of local soccer that required valour, intellect and resoluteness and found Kobus equal to the task – but none will remain unforgettable as when he led a group of football officials to form National Soccer League (NSL) after breaking away from the National Professional Soccer League in 1985. Among those was the equally mercurial soccer administrator Abdul Bhamjee, who passed away in January this year. The demise of both Kobus and Bhamjee closes arguably the most colourful chapter in the history of South African soccer. May they rest in peace.
ON FIRE: The tiny kingdom of Swaziland erupted this week with violent protest around the capital Mbabane where reports say close to 18 people were killed. Chanting “Tinkhundla Must Go”, the protestors demand, among others, that power most return to the people of Swaziland and as a result the royal tinkhundla political system be dismantled and a return to multi party democracy. Eswatini’s acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, issued a statement on Twitter on June 29 appealing for calm, restraint, and peace, and dispelling rumors that the king had fled the country. – Photos: The South African.com
