Proposes cop—lsor› services ™ith stipen† for ›o—th
MBABANE – With the unemployment rate skyrocketing, Madlangempisi Member of Parliament (MP) Sibusiso Nxumalo has suggested government engage the youth for compulsory national services with a stipend.
His suggestion was carried in the responses to the report of the Prime Minister’s Office on the first quarter report for the financial year 2022/2023.
Nxumalo said idleness created a fertile ground for other ideologies to creep in.
Responding to Nxumalo, the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, noted his idea and said it was worth exploring, in consultation with all stakeholders and emaSwati to agree on modalities, logistics and source of funding.
In an interview with this publication, the Madlengempisi MP narrated that his submission was based on that the government should engage the youth in dealing with the goods and services that the country imported on a yearly basis.
He noted that Eswatini’s biggest trading partner was the Republic of South Africa (RSA), at about E36 billion per year. “We can drive local production using that report from the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) on which goods and services can be channelled for our youth to participate in producing locally,” said the MP. Nxumalo said Eswatini was importing onions, potatoes and that was absurd.
Proposal
“So my proposal was that we have a national service for our youth to participate meaningfully in the economy. You see innovation precedes economic development. So we need our youth to start manufacturing products locally, based on their talent and government using agencies like the army, SEDCO and ENIDCS to champion the development of goods and services locally through enrolling the youth which can be used as a prerequisite for scholarships awards upon completion of the 12-month programme,” added the MP. Nxumalo said this would ensure the youth was moving from dormant to active involvement in the economy which is a plus. He said it would also inculcate patriotism which would contribute towards nation building.
He added that it would also change the idea of how to end poverty into how to create prosperity for emaSwati instead.
He said innovation would uplift emaSwati from poverty claws. “China has done it, and Singapore as well and we can do it in Africa. The initiatives can create a lot of industries around what we import,” said the MP.
He added that in government the plans were there, implementation was the problem. He added that if everyone could focus on national interest over personal interest then that could position the country to be an export economy.
“Capitalism excludes people with no capital which is the prevalence in Africa. The time for worker owned firms has arrived. Africa has labour so we exchange labour for ownership and the dividends will uplift people out of poverty,” he added.