Youth Month - DA Youth calls for jobs for young South Africans

Date: 01 June 2018

by Pogiso Mthimunye - Democratic Alliance Youth Gauteng Chairperson

Today marks the start of Youth Month, as we approach the anniversary of the fateful June 16 student uprising that took place in Soweto in 1976.

It is important to honour the past and to commemorate those who lost their lives in the struggle for the freedom that we now have. However, we must not lose sight of the biggest challenge that young people are facing today: joblessness.

Millions of South Africans are without jobs and many of them are young people. It’s time to prioritise the plight of the unemployed youth in this country. We must work towards giving young people access to jobs so that we can truly build one South Africa for all.

Where the DA governs in Gauteng, strides are being made towards increasing access to job opportunities as well as to opportunities to gain skills.

The DA-led Midvaal municipality has a Youth Development Programme that is currently giving over 200 young people skills for jobs.

Lerato Tsatsane who graduated from this programme says “the DA gave us the opportunity to take part and graduate [from] the Kgatelopele Youth Development Programme. Today I’m a social entrepreneur with my own company and can assist others in need".

The DA-led City of Johannesburg launched the Khoebo Opportunity Centre and the DA-led City of Tshwane launched eKasiLab. These SMME hubs aim to create job opportunities through connecting our youth and entrepreneurs to economic opportunities.

It’s time to act, a nation that does not care about its youth is looking at a very unstable future. Young people are ready to take charge of their own lives. They are ready to “Vukuzakhe” – to get up and do it.

The DA Youth pledges its commitment to combating youth unemployment. It won’t happen overnight but where the DA governs, we are working hard to increase access to jobs and change the lives of especially young South Africans

Media Enquiries

Pogiso MthimunyeDemocratic Alliance Youth Gauteng Chairperson

Lulama MankabaneDA Gauteng Communications Officer