SIBONGAKONKE SHOBA | It’s not yet uhuru for the unemployed SA youth

Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto, will be a hive of activity as SA commemorates the 50th anniversary of Youth Day on Tuesday.

This iconic street is part of the precinct where school students, protesting against the apartheid regime’s inferior education system for black people, were shot and many killed by the police on June 16 1976.

Today, the area has been developed into a tourist destination, with restaurants lining the stretch from Dube township to the Klipspruit road end. Despite the vibrant façade, the precinct remains surrounded by a sea of poverty.

Those who will gather there on Tuesday are the fortunate few who have managed to escape the chains of unemployment. Some of the patrons will be returning from the official government event in Nasrec, just a few kilometres away. Their countless peers will watch the festivities from afar as they still remain spectators in the economy of the land of their birth.

The ANC’s transformative policies have created a new black middle class, but they have left a significant portion of the population languishing in joblessness.

According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, about 4.7-million young people between the ages of 15 and 34 — almost 46% — are unemployed. The report notes, “Young people are not only more likely to be unemployed but are also far less likely to be in employment relative to their share of the working-age population.

“Their absorption and participation rates continue to be lower than those of adults, while their unemployment rate remains higher, creating a persistent disadvantage for the youth.”

This is a damning indictment of both the government and big businesses as we commemorate the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976.

These young men and women may be politically free, but they are unable to enjoy the fruits of that freedom. Politicians and observers have long warned about the “ticking time-bomb” of youth unemployment. This army of young people could easily be mobilised to stage a new revolution.

Signs of this are already visible. How else do we explain the throngs of young people bussed almost daily to march against African foreigners? The leaders of these marches have convinced them that foreigners are responsible for the social ills in their communities.

They are told they cannot enter the spaza shop market because foreigners have taken over townships, running cartel-like operations that exclude locals. The narrative continues that foreigners take jobs that would ordinarily go to South Africans, but because they lack the same rights, they accept lower wages and exploitative conditions.

In addition, young people are persuaded that foreign drug lords are behind the addiction crisis ravaging their peers. These unemployed youths are now expected to enforce the June 30 deadline to drive out foreigners who remain in the country.

While some grievances raised by these marchers are valid, the anger is misdirected at vulnerable groups. It is the government that must answer why, after 32 years of democracy, our economy still fails to create employment for future leaders. Our neighbourhoods have become vulnerable to crime because the police lack a coherent strategy to rid communities of criminals.

As revealed in the Madlanga commission, police officers themselves are accused of aiding drug distribution, even releasing seized consignments back to syndicates. Senior leaders and top cops have been found colluding with criminals, deepening the crisis.

If it is this easy to convince unemployed youth to rise against foreigners, it would not take much to mobilise them to imitate the Arab Spring. While we will forever be indebted to the class of ’76, this year’s anniversary must be more than ceremonial remembrance.

It must be dedicated to finding practical solutions that empower young people to become active players in their economy. That means bold interventions, including rethinking education to align with modern industries, investing in entrepreneurship and creating a conducive environment for investors.

It will be a betrayal to the 1976 generation if we don’t hold the government and business accountable for the unemployment crisis.