Youth urged to use opportunities, establish businesses
MEC for the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Xolile Nqatha has called on young people to take full advantage of opportunities created by government which seek to address the issue of unemployment.
Speaking at a youth expo in Stutterheim last week, Nqatha said the provincial government had created a plethora of opportunities for youth and SMMEs and urged aspiring young entrepreneurs to establish companies that would employ other young people.
“I am making a clarion call to all gathered here today to take advantage of these opportunities, such as the Isiqalo Youth Fund which is designed to
create jobs and eradicate poverty in the Eastern Cape province. This youth expo is a step towards addressing the everescalating unemployment and challenges confronting our youth in
Amahlathi Local Municipality,” said Nqatha.
The gathering came after a major youth protest in the town which reportedly lasted for almost five months back in 2018 over the high rate of unemployment, among other social issue.
Amahlathi Youth representative Luxolo Cumani said challenges faced by young people in the municipality had led to the gathering. The aim, he said, was for young people to participate fully in the socio-economic development of the town.
“The gap between the number of youth seeking employment and the employment opportunities available to them continues to grow wider. In the entire country, there’s a lack of mentorship programmes, unplanned teenage pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse, gender based violence and femicide, among others,” said Cumani.
In his speech, Nqatha indicated that the provincial government had donated millions of rand to various youthowned enterprises through the Isiqalo Youth Fund in 2021.
“Our unemployed graduates must also approach the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) for funding and the other available programmes offered by this agency. Some government institutions and municipalities have erected free Wi-Fi hot spots across the province. Youth and pupils must use these Wi-Fi hot spots to search for crucial information such as jobs, bursaries, learnerships, internships etc.”
Noting the rampant theft of water and electricity infrastructure which was severely affecting businesses and communities, Nqatha encouraged the formation of crime prevention forums and active participation in community development programmes.
“The Amahlathi Local Municipality must also work closely with the youth as this will bring much-needed stability and boost the local economy. We are all aware of what happened here in Stutterheim in 2018 and we must work together to ensure that such unfortunate incidents will never happen again. We call upon the youth to protect all public properties in Amahlathi Local Municipality and the province at large.”