Drop-outs shake Ace
ANC secretary-general concerned by tales of child-headed homes in rural KZN
“MANY of us young people do not work; we have no food and we struggle to make ends meet. The little we have often goes to ensuring that the little kids at least have something to eat before they go to bed every night.”
This is the everyday reality of Nomthandazo Gumede, 25, who is taking care of herself and five young children after she lost both her parents when she was a teenager and was forced to drop out of school to take care of them.
Londiwe Nxumalo, 21, is another young person heading her own household, after she lost her parents and could no longer afford to finish her tertiary studies.
“I have no parents and I am unemployed. I was studying towards an education qualification but I can no longer continue with my studies as I have to help take care of my sister’s children since our parents passed away,” she said.
These were some of the heartbreaking accounts of young people during ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s door-to-door campaign at King Dinuzulu township at Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday.
This week Magashule has been in rural areas around KZN, urging people to vote for the ANC to bring meaningful change.
However, a prevailing theme in his campaign was that most homes the ANC had visited were headed by young women.
“I am deeply concerned that these young women are not going to school to further their education. We need to encourage young people who do not reach matric to continue their studies at TVET colleges so that they can acquire skills,” he said.
Speaking on the prospects of the elections, Magashule said he remained confident that the ANC would win an overwhelming majority at the polls in the next few months.
“We need to focus on young people. I have an open door policy. I believe leadership is not about status.
“There is no boss here, we live among each other and our people must know that there is still hope to save our communities,” he said.
Njabulo Nzuza, secretarygeneral of the ANC Youth League, said there was great potential for young people in Eshowe if they could get involved in agriculture and work the land.
“The only way we can uplift the youth in this area is in agriculture.
“There is no shortage of water, and if young people are provided with land and the necessary tools to form their own enterprises, they can produce fresh produce and supply retailers and other businesses with the fruits of their labour,” said Nzuza.