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REUTERS
Xolile Blessing Bam is passionate about computers. The 20-year-old South African studied IT at a business college in Johannesburg but he has not been able to find a job since.
To get some experience, and to keep himself busy, he volunteers as a teaching assistant at a local school in Soweto.
“I've tried looking for a job for a year and a half now,” Bam said. “The challenges are experience and the level of education which I have because I only have a certificate, not a diploma or degree.”
Bam's story is typical. Out of a population of 49 million, 7.5 million South Africans are out of work. Young people are worst affected, with over half of 18- to 25-year-olds unemployed.
According to South Africa's Cosatu labour federation, there's no other middle income country in the world with such a high rate of unemployment.
“This is a crisis. We call it a ticking bomb,” said Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu's general secretary. “We think that one day there may be an explosion. Seventy-three percent of people who are unemployed in South Africa are below the age of 35 and a lot of them have been to universities.
“If we look at lots of our cities, they are all surrounded by a ring of fire. We have seen in almost every direction around Johannesburg, periodic violent protest actions led by young people and women, the two sections of the community that bear the brunt of that crisis of unemployment.”
Demonstrations have exploded in poor areas, with the number of protests rising eight-fold in the last seven years, peaking at 111
in 2010.
Last October, more than 2,000 young people marched through Johannesburg to demand jobs, led by the fiery leader of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, who has made “economic freedom” his rallying cry.
Now, some observers warn that South Africa could see its own 'Arab Spring.'
“When those people stand up, they are not going to be as peaceful as we hope when they try and voice their grievances,” said Kindiza Ubami, from Johannesburg's Centre for Violence and Reconciliation.
“It will be as bad as what happened in the Arab countries.”
In an attempt to pacify this growing anger, President Zuma has promised to create five million jobs by 2020.
In his recent State of the Nation address, he put forward an ambitious job creation plan, underpinned by 300 billion rand ($39.6 billion, 29.7 billion euros) in spending to upgrade the nation's railways and ports.
South Africa's economy has begun creating jobs again, with unemployment at 23.9 percent in the last quarter of 2011 - still very high but the lowest level since the 2008 global financial crisis.
But South Africa still has not replaced the one million jobs lost during the global recession and the part of the population living in poverty, at nearly 40 percent, has hardly budged since white-minority rule ended in 1994.
“The work done last year indicates that if we continue to grow reasonably well, we will begin to write a new story about South Africa - the story of how, working together, we drove back unemployment and reduced economic inequality and poverty,” Zuma said.
“It is beginning to look possible. We must not lose this momentum.”
The job creation drive might seem a long way off but politicians trust and hope it is enough to give young people hope, to avoid more social unrest. Despite the increase in protests, many young people do not want revolution.
Bam, for one, just wants an opportunity to earn a living.
“I actually believe in myself and the skills which I have. So if anyone says 'hey, I can try out out for two days,' I'll be there and make sure that that person is impressed.” - Sapa-AFP
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Living in Exile, wrote
So sorry for you Bam, but firstly who did you vote for in the last elections? I am a white man married to an Indian woman.Due to race discrimination laws AGAINST MY CHILDREN we had to move out of our beloved homeland in order for my daughters to be educated properly without being prejudiced by trade unions closing down schools, and have the right to equal opportunity employment prospects, we had to leave. We hate it buts its best for them You see Bam, my young man, until we can get rid of all racism in the statute books and all people are treated as equals, and the hugely restrictive labour laws insisted on by a partner in the government of the day,and that is all the laws that make you, as a black man more equal than my children, then you will forever be battling for a job. As you can see from a lot of the previous posts, companies will just not employ young people due to all the laws that restrict them. You are already advantaged by your skin colour and your surname. Now to get my children reclassified to (up to) the same level as you must they go to Home Affairs house and have the old pencil test in the hair?? (like your Granny had to do) Now if you could vote for a party next time that is not racist we might get some where and i would come back to SA, re-invest my money and employ you!!! Now my young friend, if you can see the inequality in the current situation i would encourage you to go out and and do the right thing and vote properly in all local and national elections!!! Good luck with the job hunting.p.s. What happened to the Real apprenticeship that the real world is built on? Google it my man.
Seen It All, wrote
There's a shortage of skills in the country, but they can't find jobs... Obviously they don't have abilities. Anyone who has the mentality to go on the rampage because they can't find work, LOL, should exit the gene pool.
Anonymous, wrote
didnt Winnie once say Education after liberation? Maybe the ANC is still waiting for liberation? I know we are....waiting for liberation from a corrupt bunch of criminals that have highjacked our highest office.
Anonymous, wrote
I am running a Start-up Company, and continue to have at least 5 positions to fill in..... This for the past 6 months! I tread with great caution - in fact considering to abandon this activity and go into retirement....elswhere! Please submit CV's at: Poste Restante Geneva Central Post Office Switzerland
Anonymous, wrote
There are so many problems with employment but unfortunately the ANC would rather put race and illiteracy before employment. BEE is a major factor that stops people employing as they end of with staff who are too lazy to work and feel entitled to their job becasue of their race and not merit which is the other issue, you cannot simply fire useless staff so this stops people employing. According to the rest of the world our labour laws are simply a joke and have brought employment opportunities to a halt. Even if you catch someone red handed stealing its difficult to get rids of them. You can thank COSATU for the lack of jobs.You can thank the criminal ANC for the lack of jobs and you can certainly thank the racist faluire called BEE for the lack of work. The ANC is unfortunately not intelligent enough to see this and way to stupid to fix it seeing as they themselves are illiterate and uneducated.
Anonymous, wrote
The ANC government, has actively discouraged middle class entrepeneurs like myself from investing in this country. I have recently closed my bussiness in SA and re opened in Botswana. The ANC government in their effort to controll and regulate every aspect of white bussiness ownership made it impossible for me to run a profitable bussiness. The Botswanan's on the other hand fell over themselves to support me in setting up my new bussiness just outside Gaborone. Additionally I now employ 17 Botswana'n nationals to do the job that it took 26 SA nationals to do. There is an election coming up, if you want our country to move forward we have an opportunity to get get a new government into power that knows how to run an economy.
Anonymous, wrote
The African "spring" has been a long time in the making, since Zuma defrauded the country in the Arms deal the ANC has seen fit to steal and do as they like, they are above the law. And since Zuma got away with corruption why shouldnt they? And when they do nothing happens because Zuma knows they all know how much he has stolen personally and the entire cabinet will be sent to prison for a very long time. Since the arms deal corruption has become SA's national sport. They simply cannot steal and loot the nations captial forever, eventually it will collapse and we are starting to see it already, with the lack of service, lack of housing, lack of jobs, lack of food etc etc etc. The best and worst thing for SA would be an African Spring, instead of violence why dont people speak wih their votes. After all stupidity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result - Albert Einstein.
GF, wrote
A major contributor to the unemployment level is the high birth rate and there has never been a call from the government telling people to have only the children they can afford and not out of wedlock.
Mo, wrote
Sick of Thickkies, wrote
Yeah.Easy for COSATU to say. They are the very ones RESPONSIBLE for the lack of work opportunities for young people. They've crucified so many businesses with ridiculous strikes and demands that employers are scared to run the risk of giving people jobs any more.If there was ever a case of mote in the eye, this is it.
Juan, wrote
It is all because the government is providing inferior education. This leads to class after clas each year rolling out unemployable youths. This action is deliberate as uneducated people are easilly indoctrinated to keep the ruling party in power, as is the plan in all other 3rd world countries, dictatorships and banana republics. South Africa would be an amazing, progressive country today if government focussed on QUALITY education in 1994, but now we sit with millions of poorly educated youths, not employable, but the anc has succeeded in indoctrinating them to vote anc every election.
RGP, wrote
The rampant birth rate is partly responsible for the vast number of unemployed youths. The other part is the continual belief that the more children you have, the more macho the male is, never mind how or who is going to feed them. The stock answer is" the Govt must provide houses ,free education etc. With less than 10% of the population gainfully employed, this bubble is soon to burst. Then a downward spiral into anarchy and ruin, like the rest of the continent!
james, wrote
So here in the States Obummer spent 800 billion "stimulous" dollars to create jobs. We lost more jobs, Obviously Zuma is impressed with the performance of his Kenyan brother and is following suite.
tommy, wrote
Well now, usually a proportion of those who graduate from universities set up their own businesses and start employing others, well thats what happened in the past but it seems graduates only want to get a job now, where are all the entrepreneurs ? oh thats right, they all living in aussie, new zealand and the UK. Get off your lazy butts and start something yourself, or do you just expect to be given everything on a plate ?
I tried, wrote
I tried employing a few youths recently. Biggest problem was thei attitude to work, sense of entitlement, and regular sick leave. They simply were not worth the trouble. I would rather work through the night before I employ the pathetic youth to do the work
Anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
The people voted for a government that is [allegedly] more interested in stealing than planning and investing for the future. That is why the youth have no opportunities. Mr Moletsi Mbeki (Thabo's intelligent brother) describes this government as a kid playing with a handgranade. Sooner or later they will discover how to pull the pin. And that is when the alienated youth will revolt - Good bye and Good luck!!
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