Despite experiencing the benefit of 22 years of democracy, Masxole Mlandu, deputy director at youth organisation “Inkululeko in Mind”, says that there are still only two employment options available to black youth: that of a cleaner and a security guard.
Speaking on an SAFM discussion about the role of young South Africans in various areas such as politics and the economy, Mlandu says that South Africa remains an occupied settler state which needs radical reform and that the country education system currently only serves the status quo.
Listen to young people discuss the state of South African youth in 2016:
Mlandu argues that currently, South Africa is practising a kind of “Nyaope” politics which numbs and paralyses the issues faced by the country.
The need for education reformation and for a radical approach to eliminate the social ills faced by the youth is agreed upon by Wits Student Representative Council Secretary General, Fasiha Hassan. Hassan adds that transformation is different from decolonisation and African problems cannot be solved with a Eurocentric outlook.
Youth unemployment and inactivity in the country’s mainstream economy have come under the spotlight recently and data from Statistics South Africa shows that youth unemployment stands at over 60%.
When speaking about South African youth, policy analyst and author Nompumelelo Runji says that the country’s youth need to be recognised as an entity which is not homogenous and therefore, different groups face different problems. Runji asserts that black people are disproportionality affected by unemployment and it is time that the black government are held accountable to a high standard for what they are doing for black people in the country.
Listen to young people discuss “Nyope” politics and the myth of the rainbow nation:
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