Durban - The Unemployment Graduate Movement has accused government of having no political will to assist the unemployed and have vowed to make South Africa ungovernable until their demands are met.
UGM President, Nkululeko Ndlovu, accused government of having no will to help graduates and it was up to the unemployed to stand up for themselves.
#UnemployedGraduates trended for most of Friday with many qualified but unemployed people speaking out on their struggle to find work.
Groups of unemployed graduates from a number of movements across the country, gathered at Church Square and at various spots around the Eastern Cape, all with the hopes of being taken seriously by government and public structures.
Despite police trying to stop the protests, the crowd continued to hold up their placards, calling on government to assist them in finding work.
Speaking at the gathering, Ndlovu said the march was not only for graduates without work but for all young people.
"Enough is enough. We are declaring war now. We are going to run South Africa ungovernable. We are going to shut down South Africa until our demands are met. We are not afraid of anything," he said.
Ndlovu said they were not worried about criminal records.
He said no one was taking a stand for the unemployed.
"There is no political will. The government does not have commitment. The government does not have transformation. If there is no political will, no one will address our issues," he said.
More than 8 million people between the ages of 15 to 34 were unemployed and in terms of graduate unemployment, and according to data from the World Bank, at least 12% of workers with a tertiary education were unemployed by 2018.
Right To Know spokesperson Busi Mtabane, said Friday's demonstrations hoped to create awareness and send a message to the President and seek sympathy from the public to the plight facing those who spent years studying but were unable to find employment.
Many donned their graduation attire and turned their placards into business cards, advertising their qualifications and contact details.
undefinedundefinedHow can we deal with COVID19 when we have been battling with unemployment for years ,and now its just made worse #brokeSA #unemployedGraduates #unemployedSA https://t.co/9zA09vg8PN
— Ms_Rashe ❤️ (@Ms_4kaii) August 14, 2020
I’m even worried about my lil sis cause she’s doing her Honors degree now and the way the youth unemployment rate is looking is v disturbing 😰😰 I think about her future a lot because it’s so difficult for graduates to get jobs #unemployedGraduates
— Motshidisi (@TshidiBaby_) August 14, 2020
IOL