Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Mmusi Maimane has urged young people to emulate the youth of 1976. He was addressing the party’s youth event at the Alice Campus of Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape. Maimane says the youth of 1976 fought for better and quality education, urging the University of Fort Hare to produce the next generation of leaders.
Scores of Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (Daso) members packed the Fort Hare University’s Green Auditorium to listen to their leader. Maimame says the historic university produced outstanding leaders like OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela. He has challenged the institution to produce future leaders who will play prominent role in the economy of country.
“Let us draw inspiration from the generation of 1976, the one thing that worries me is that we are looking at the generation of 76, we need new heroes, we need 2018 heroes, we need heroes that will start small businesses , that will employ young people, we need young heroes who will walk into classrooms and say I am not just going to teach old subject but teach new subject like technology so we need new heroes.”
Maimane also took a swipe at the current education system, saying it is not equipping young people with scarce skills. “There is a system in SA where in fact a child who starts off in primary school is hungry, when they go to school some learners cannot not focus because of malnutrition, there is a system in this province that says basic education that SADTU should be the principal of that school, we can lament state capture but let’s not forget education capture.”
President of DASO at Fort Hare University, Xolani Jaji says the struggle of today’s youth is unemployment and poor education system. “If you owe these institution you do not get your qualification, you tell me if you do not have the actual qualification, how are you get a job, even if you have that certificate you are subjected to internships, you study for years and still after finishing your qualification you are not considered as one who is fit to proceed with the work that you need to do, young people of today we have a serious problem.”
Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga, DASO federal chairperson, Yusuf Cassim and the provincial youth leadership also attended the event. Click below for more on the story:
