Tshwane Bahlali Dudula to mobilise again to force employers to offer jobs to local youth

A file picture of people gathered during the Tshwane Bahlali Dudula protest at the Ford Motor Company. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

A file picture of people gathered during the Tshwane Bahlali Dudula protest at the Ford Motor Company. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Aug 4, 2022

Share

Pretoria - The Tshwane Bahlali Dudula is set to mobilise again and visit industrial areas to demand real and co-ordinated intervention measures to address the displacement of young South Africans from the economy.

The organisation’s David Ratladi told the Pretoria News that after protesting in Rosslyn and Silverton, some companies reacted positively and absorbed young people.

He said Nissan and the South African Breweries in Rosslyn created jobs for local young people, even though some companies had not yet reacted positively.

Others went to court and obtained interdicts over the demonstrations and demands.

He said the reality was that there were over 70 000 foreign nationals in these manufacturing companies, while scores of South Africans with qualifications were sitting at home in the townships doing nothing with their lives.

“Over and above this, we want it to be clear that we are not done, and in fact we will continue this fight to get our young people afforded opportunities in their own country, just like everyone else.

“On September 16 we are returning to Ford Motor Company in Silverton with another massive march that will involve people from Mamelodi and Eersterust.

“We are calling for opportunities to be created.

“We demand that there be steering committees that will involve community members to ensure that our youth is also afforded opportunities, especially in these other firms that seem to just be doing as they please,” he said.

Ratladi said the movement was due to meet with the executives of the business chamber in Rosslyn, where they want to ensure there was an establishment of a steering committee that would ensure that the firms demonstrate recruitment procedures that did not displace local youth in favour of foreign nationals.

According to spokesperson for the movement Joel Mphata, their goal was to remind the private sector that youth unemployment stood at 35% in the fourth quarter of 2021.

They want to make an impact in all industrial areas in Tshwane, including Waltloo, Hammanskraal and Ga-Rankuwa.

Pretoria News