Date: 14/06/2012

Source: Democratic Alliance

Title: SA: Hill-Lewis: Address by the Democratic Alliance Shadow Deputy Minister of Tradde and Industry, at Parliament, Cape Town

Mr. Speaker,

This debate honours the youth of 1976, who when faced with the brutality of a government that did not care about them, rose up and made themselves heard.

As a young South African, I am always inspired by the example they set – of bravery, determination, hope for a better future, and for literally changing the course of history.
South Africa today is a more just and humane society, but many millions of our young people still feel as though they live under a government that has turned its back on them.

Nearly four decades ago a generation of youth rose up and started a movement that eventually toppled a government.

The same will happen again if this government continues to turn its gaze from the many ordinary people who are the face of youth unemployment in South Africa.

People like Christina Mosito, whose story I read this week:

Christina Mosito is 22 years old and lives in a backyard room in Tlou Street, Diepsloot Extension 2, with her mother. Although she has a diploma in travel and tourism from an FET college, she has been unable to graduate because she requires in-service training. Many of her former classmates are in the same position. “Most of the jobs I see, want experience”, says Ms. Mosito, “I have applied at UNISA to further my studies. I want to do a diploma in tourism. I hope it will increase my chances of getting employed.” In the meantime, she is looking for temporary employment to help pay for her studies, and to get some experience. “I’m up for anything, even restaurant work. I want to do something because sitting here at home is not doing anything for me.”

DONOVAN ABRAHAMS, 27 years old – unemployed
ARNOLD NDLOVU, 30 – unemployed
BONGANI MONDLANE, 20 - unemployed
AUBREY JANTJIES, 21 - unemployed
MJABULISI JILI, 32 - unemployed
RAYMOND LIGWA, 22 - unemployed
RENNIE KHUMALO, 26 - unemployed
TONY MAEBELA, 21 - unemployed
ANDRE GATES, 23 - unemployed
SHARMIMA VALA, 30 - unemployed
WILFRED PLAATJIES, 24 years old – unemployed

This is the face of unemployment in South Africa today.

When the DA asked unemployed youth to send us their photos and their stories, we got hundreds of responses in just minutes.

And there are roughly 7 million more photos like this out there.

All of them watching, waiting – but they will not wait forever.

If this government does not wake up to the reality of youth unemployment today, and begin to act on it immediately and with the necessary urgency, they too will find themselves at the mercy of a generation of fed-up, ignored, marginalised, and angry young South Africans.

It may already be too late for the ANC. You have ignored young people, and now they are beginning to ignore you. People are starting to notice the trend.

Even Zwelinzima Vavi (who often seems to be first to accurately spot the trend, even if his policies are a major cause of the trend in the first place), warned that unless the ANC changed its ethos it could suffer defeat to the DA in 2019.

The fact is that all young unemployed people who continue to hope for a more prosperous future now know that the ANC opposes that vision, and the DA champions it.

They look to a DA government that is already implementing the youth wage subsidy, is growing the economy, creating jobs, delivering services to those who need them most, improving the lives of the poor&hellip

A government that according to the Public Service Commission is the most inclusive and diverse government in the country, they are beginning to choose accordingly.

Mr. Speaker,

Nationally, things are not getting any better. On Monday this week we were shocked to hear that annualized employment figures for May were down a staggering 3.1%.

That figure is cold. What it really represents is thousands more faces like the ones I’ve shown you today. It is their plight and their prospects for the future, which should really weigh heavily on our hearts today.

Christina Mosito, and the many others like her, just wants a fair chance at accessing the job market for the first time. They need to get their foot in the door. Countless studies from nearly every developing country have shown that if a young person gets a job and keeps it for at least one year, they stand an excellent chance of being employed for the rest of their working lives. But those studies also show that if they do not find employment within three years of graduating, they are more likely to be indefinitely unemployed.

That is why the youth wage subsidy is such a crucial policy intervention. It is not the panacea, but it does open the door of the job market to first time job seekers just enough for them to get their foot in.

And this is the bizarre thing about this debate. We are having a debate about a problem - the solution to which we all agree on. Let me be clear: The ANC and DA agree on the youth wage subsidy.

President Zuma announced it in his State of the Nation Address in 2010. He said that the government would table a proposal to “subsidise the cost of hiring younger workers, to encourage firms to take on inexperienced staff”. Minister Gordhan has budgeted for it, R5 billion. KZN Premier Zweli Mkhize has declared his support for it.

We agree on this. That is beyond debate.

The only question then, is this – why, two years later, is this government still allowing itself to be dictated to by its union allies - who have never stood for election, who haven’t got a single seat in this House, and who don’t understand the first thing about unemployment because by definition they represent the employed?

That is the question the government must answer today, in this Youth Debate.
That is the question on the lips of unemployed young South Africans.

Mr. Speaker, the ANC and the DA are united in our support for a policy intervention that will make an immediate and tangible impact on unemployment.

But we can’t wait any longer for the youth wage subsidy. Young South Africans can’t wait any longer.

So my message to the ANC today is this: Let’s work together to beat youth unemployment. Tell COSATU that they can’t block a policy supported by everyone in this House, and if they want to, they can stand for election.

And most of all – put the people ahead of politics, and implement the youth wage subsidy now.

Thank you.