Magashule campaigns for votes in Eshowe
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s door to door campaign at King Dinizulu township in Eshowe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday was characterised by feedback on youth unemployment and parentless households run by young people who are struggling to access proper education.
Magashule expressed deep concern at how the youth in some rural areas of South Africa were continuously marginalised as they lacked access to opportunities that are widely available to young people in urban areas.
This week, Magashule has been in rural areas around KZN such as uMzimkhulu and Eshowe, urging people to vote for the ANC in order to bring meaningful change.
However, a prevailing theme in his campaigns was that most homes that the ANC had visited are headed by young women, where the parents are deceased, with the women often taking care of their siblings.
“I am deeply concerned that these young women are not going to school to further their education. We need to encourage young people who do not reach matric to continue their studies at Tvet (technical and vocational education and training) colleges so that they can get skills,” he said.
This week, the Spectator Index , which rates youth unemployment, said Sourth Africa ranked the highest in the world at 52.8%. According to the report, there are 6.2 million unemployed South Africans between the ages of 15 and 24.
Speaking on the prospects of the elections, Magashule said he remained confident that the ANC would win an overwhelming majority at the polls in the next few months.
“The ANC is uniting very strongly in KZN. “It’s about unity and our attention is in KZN.
“We are also going to woo councillors from other parties to join us as the ANC is still the party to lead the people. We need to also focus on young people. I have an open door policy. I believe that leadership is not about status. There is no boss here, we live amongst each other and our people must know that there is still hope to save our communities,” he said.
Njabulo Nzuza, the secretary-general of the ANC Youth League, said there was massive potential for young people in Eshowe if they can get involved in agriculture and work the land. “The only way that we can uplift the youth in this area is through agriculture. There is no shortage of water and if young people are provided with land and the necessary tools to form their own enterprises they can produce fresh produce to markets and supply retailers and other businesses with the fruits of their labour.
“They can even form an agricultural hub to ensure there is food security and economic activity around the area. This is one area where land needs to go back to the people,” he said.
Mduduzi Mthembu, the mayor of the Musa Dladla municipality in Eshowe and chairperson of the region, said young people were still subject to poverty and underdevelopment, and as a result of the social ills, lots of households are child-headed.
He said most children still relied on social grants, yet proactive measures were being taken to ensure that they received assistance.
“We have done a lot to assist through training and assisting young people to form co-operatives. We have also ensured that as many people as possible have access to the municipality in order to be assisted with resources,” he said.
Snegugu Luthuli, who met Magashule at her home during the campaign, said although she was happy that he had paid her a visit, she would still face the same challenges once the dust had settled. “I am unemployed and I am an orphan,” she said.