Free education will liberate us from the shackles of the past

Tax the corporations that extract billions from South Africa, writes Njabulo Bhekamanzuza Nzuza

IF the present owes its existence to the architecture of the past, then the future will always be crafted and shaped by the present.

The youth of this country can’t help but watch as the old generation makes decisions we must live with and builds the platforms from which we must operate. The struggles of young people are rarely acknowledged — and then only in populist slogans and conference banners.

The struggles of young people are talked about in boardrooms by people who are not in a position to understand our dreams and aspirations. They talk about us in boardrooms while we are not present to share our views. The voice of young people in the quest to find and provide solutions is not heard.

So much so that we have accepted mediocrity, taking pride in and celebrating the few who do exceptionally well.

The truth of the matter is that millions of young people live in poverty. They are unemployed, uneducated and have no hope of a better future.

They are angry, but even more disturbing is that many are turning to drugs and their health is deteriorating. They have given up on life because no one supports their dreams and aspirations or believes in them.

And yet we find it shocking when these young people lead violent outbursts during what ought to be peaceful protests.

Meanwhile, those few who have made it into institutions of higher learning face ever-increasing fees and accumulating debt that weighs heavy on their shoulders.

Many do not have proper accommodation; some even live in shacks outside the safety of campuses.

They go to great lengths to get an education because they know it increases their chances of building a better life for themselves.

While those who tire and drop out return to idleness in the townships, the remainder continue to study under a cloud of uncertainty regarding their prospects of getting a job after graduation.

Those who do graduate and find jobs are heavily indebted, especially black Africans, who are enmeshed in their education debt. It is also incumbent on them to build proper homes for, and take care of, their parents. Furthermore, they must help support and educate their siblings. All of these needs — including vehicle financing — are financed on credit, attracting exorbitant interest rates.

We are turned into slaves of the banks. Short-term loans, personal loans and credit cards are the order of the day. We have become the most valuable revenue base of the banks. We do not invest in the future of our children — we can’t because our hands are financially tied. We are young parents who educate our children through debt.

Most disconcerting is that little or no effort is made to understand the plight of young people.

Young people of this country are creative. We have solutions to change our destiny and build a better future. We need a country that will at least attempt to understand us. We need a country that will believe in young people and make the necessary investment to change our lives so that we can give full expression to our imagination.

The most important investment a country can make is in the education of young people. Education is the first step towards unleashing the potential of young people. Access to education should not be a privilege but an accessible right to all. The country must understand that an uneducated nation cannot grow economically — and that is disastrous for the future.

We should not look any further than taxing the large corporations that continue to extract billions from our country to invest beyond our borders.

The government must reprioritise its spending and invest in the future of young people by partly funding free education. The implementation of free education will give hope to millions of young people who sit stale in townships.

The other critical issue is investment in the future by developmental finance institutions. These institutions should have a funding appetite based on the soundness of business ideas, not creditworthiness. Their funding model is currently no different from that of commercial banks. And it is this commercial funding model that blocks young people from receiving funding from these institutions.

Financial institutions tailored to assist young entrepreneurs are almost nonexistent in South Africa. The shortage of such institutions crushes the entrepreneurial spirit of young people and dwarfs their aspirations.

But none of these suggestions will ever see the light of day if young people continue to be dictated to by the old guard. As the saying goes: “Nothing about us without us.”

Nzuza is secretary-general of the ANC Youth League

We need a country that will believe in young people and make the necessary investment to change our lives