Youth should study, work overseas, says minister

PRETORIA: Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba wants society to be at the forefront of encouraging the youth to study and seek employment opportunities abroad.

This, Gigaba said, would help them forge international experiences that could help change the unhealthy notion that immigrants were taking South African jobs.

The minister, and Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela, were speaking to youth representatives at a Youth and Migration Dialogue at Unisa.

“Immigrants have often become convenient scapegoats for disaffected members of society,” he said.

“I hope you will help us move forward from the zero-sum mentality where we view immigrants as the problem and rather recognise that immigrants help us grow the economy and create jobs through their contributions.

“I hope you will be able to look at removing the assumption that South Africans can’t be migrants. Also, that they would like to be treated humanely (as migrants), welcomed warmly and integrated socially in destination countries,” added Gigaba.

Manamela said he did not understand the anger and displeasure expressed by people at the announcement by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga of the approval of voluntary teaching of Mandarin in schools across the country.

“I thought children were already learning Mandarin and many other languages through informal education institutions and informal programmes,” he said.

“By reacting in this manner, we’re inhibiting our own children and youth by saying they cannot learn a different language.

“We must be the champions if we are to ensure national and global integration to move beyond the boundaries that have been created.”

Manamela announced that the signing of the National Youth Policy 2020 by Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe on Wednesday would guide the nation on how to address critical youth development challenges.