The youth need to make things happen
Response to
You can only create jobs in a winning country. South Africa is continuing to be a loser, with no plan to become a winning nation. Even our ruling party is split down the middle. In sporting terms we desperately need to employ “high-performance” coaches to tackle our country’s many problems, one key problem at a time.
The biggest problem is that we have become a nation of mediocrity heading at top speed towards a failed state. This is especially true for institutions run by the government such as schools, hospitals, SAA, Eskom and, the biggest failure of all, local government. Just look at the problems faced by Clover and Astral because of nonperforming councils.
One of the biggest policy failures of the ANC was the closure of many training facilities, especially for teachers and nurses. In addition to the low standards of training, the interference of unions to prevent quality assessments of workers has ensured that our key services have steadily declined in performance and value.
South Africa desperately needs to professionalise sectors across all tiers of government.
Let’s start with local government. With very few exceptions local authorities have failed completely to deliver on their mandate. In most local authorities their only function is to provide salaries to councillors and staff deployed to it by the ruling party.
Because of this system there are few advancement opportunities for younger staff to move up the ladder and be promoted to a more responsible position with more money. At present new appointments to senior positions are dictated by the local branch of the ANC, while those already in the organisation are overlooked.
This is no basis to grow depth and quality of knowledge to ensure capable future leadership. What’s more, it results in frustration and lack of performance by the staff overlooked.
University graduates must be provided with internships in fields such as finance, roads, water, sewerage and municipal management. Unless this issue is tackled headon, our local authorities, the rock face of service delivery for the people, will continue on their merry way towards total collapse, which is the reality in more than 60% of municipalities.
Graduates must accept the fact that, despite having a degree, they actually don’t know very much. They need at least three years of internship, during which time they should be mentored by experienced senior staff. During this internship these candidates must accept lower salaries because they owe the country something for their free education...?
Another area for employment opportunities must be in food production. With the world population growing every year, the world will soon run out of food resources. China, with a population of more than a billion people and only 11% of its land available for food production, is already signing long leases in Africa [Ethiopia] for agricultural land. Will all our land be leased to China?
South Africa needs to develop more high-value products such as avos, berries and nuts for export. Where are our youth being trained and encouraged in this lucrative opportunity?
I live near an agricultural college that has produced successful farmers over many decades, probably a century. I cannot understand why students are never found in the fields getting their hands dirty. I wonder what sort of farmers they will become. Maybe they plan just to get an office job in government as an “agricultural expert”.
South Africa is full of opportunity for our youth but they must get off their butts and make it happen for themselves. Sitting back expecting somebody else to find them a job will not do.
Think, plan, discuss and be innovative. Don’t just sit and wait; do something and you will succeed.
Our history in South Africa reminds us of the Indian people who came to South Africa to cut cane in what was then known as Natal. When their contracts expired they settled there with very few resources.
They worked hard and became traders in fruit and vegetables, and then shops and then into manufacturing and so on. They succeeded under enormous financial and political constraints but they ensured that their children were educated. These people are now probably the most successful sector of KwaZulu-Natal’s population.
The opportunities are out there, but each individual needs a plan, needs to work hard, needs to continue his or her education and above all needs to be a responsible partner and a good parent to their children.
The country cannot grow if our children are abandoned to others to bring up and educate, otherwise the number of people reliant on state handouts will continue to increase and South Africa will become a very unstable society.
Start planning.