Crime is a choice for those with no jobs

I WAS horrified by the clarion call made by citizens to bring back the former police commissioner Bheki Cele to fight crime.

We can bring in the army itself, the soaring crime rate will not abate.

What we are faced with in this country is a massive socio-economic problem.

In the circumstances, unfortunately the solution is a long-term one. Our children need to be at the cutting edge of scientific and commercial expertise.

To achieve this goal, the government needs to provide quality and relevant education, which will arm our children with skills that are vital and relevant to an economy in its developmental stages.

Furthermore, the massive dropout from schools needs attention.

Schools need libraries full of informative books in a diversity of disciplines and careers, fully fledged laboratories, computer labs and proper extramural facilities like turf soccer fields, swimming pools and cricket fields.

Second, the government must work closely with and encourage corporate South Africa to provide internships where necessary and jobs to graduates.

What is happening is that graduates are leaving college and languishing at home for months, frustrated and with little or no hope.

This makes children ask: Why should I continue with schooling when graduates are twiddling their thumbs at home? Is it not worthwhile to make a quick buck with a cash heist or a hijack?

A quick example: we sponsor students at the Vaal University of Technology.

A young man completed his electrical engineering course with an average pass mark – above 60 percent. This was last year.

He needed a 12-month internship to get a certificate. He stayed at home for 15 months – no employer was interested in helping and he made every effort.

Similar circumstances were experienced by a young woman. I managed to get the internal audit graduate a 12-month internship.

But after her internship, her employer told her to get herself a permanent job.

Although she graduated in 2010, she is still sitting at home.

This is reprehensible and an indictment to both corporate South Africa and our government.

LB ANGOMA Joburg