R2K Youth Day Statement – High youth unemployment rate must be addressed!
Today, 43 years ago, the youth of South Africa gave voice to their dissatisfaction with the policies of the Apartheid government especially the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools across the country. With dire consequences for over 10,000 young people who put their bodies on the line, peacefully. Their courage in the face of police brutality changed the socio-political landscape in South Africa and raised the plight of ordinary people internationally. Today we commemorate their spirit of standing up against an unjust system.
While things have changed drastically since those dark days of bloodshed and impunity of racist tyrants, youth in South Africa still face huge challenges, as did the youth of 1976. Twenty-five years after the dawn of democracy, South Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, with about 55 percent of young people who are struggling to find employment. Due to this, most young people are excluded from enjoying the fruits of our democracy.
During his State of the Nation Address in February 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government has focused its efforts on reigniting growth and creating jobs. He affirmed that the government will accelerate inclusive economic growth and create jobs. To date, we have yet to see any significant improvement.
This Youth Day, the Right2Know Campaign calls on the government supported by all roleplayers including the private sector to deliver on its promise of addressing joblessness. We cannot continue with the rhetoric while we are sitting with a ticking time bomb. Sbusiso Nzama, R2K activist from kwaNyuswa in KwaZulu-Natal says our leaders have failed us, even if the youth tries to do things that can help other youth but when they ask for government assistance they are rejected. “Let’s build unity and things for ourselves and forget about these people who called themselves leaders, we are the leaders, not them”, adds the frustrated 26-year-old. Alandra Presley Naidoo also from KZN shares the same sentiments as Nzama. “As a born free South African youth, Youth Day reflects the impact youth has and will continue to have in bringing change and unity which was born from the 1976 Soweto Uprising,“ said the 23-year-old.
The youth has played an integral role in the growth of the Right2Know Campaign and today we celebrate their commitment to fighting for freedom of expression and access to information. Through their zeal and unwavering commitment, our #datamustfall campaign is starting to yield some positive results. Our call to bring down the cost of communication is a continuous campaign that is mostly supported by young people who feel the pinch. Through this campaign, we want all network providers to commit to ensuring that the cost of data and airtime is affordable to all the people of South Africa. The country has some of the highest data and airtime costs in the world. It is outrageous that in a country where so many struggles to put bread on the table, the telecoms companies are given free rein to rip us off.
Young people are struggling to access job opportunities because they can’t afford the internet, which is where some of these opportunities are mostly shared or advertised. It’s even harder for them to upskill themselves using free online courses because of high data costs. We are happy that the Competition Commission has initiated a market inquiry into the market for data services in South Africa and invited R2K amongst others to review the provisional report and provide comments and further submissions. We do hope that there will be a relief for consumers very soon as our campaign for free, accessible and secure internet continues.
This youth month we will also be finalising the #LoveYourCommunityMedia campaign which was also spearheaded by young people. The campaign was a call to build and strengthen community media. This includes a call for an annual grant to community media organisations to provide quality and independent journalism, and a platform for ordinary citizens to become community media activists at a local level. It also included an online petition, through the Awethu platform, for the public to support the call for better funding for their community media stations.
Like the catalysts of ‘76, the youth within R2K remain steadfast in fighting for the free flow of information necessary to meet people’s social, economic, political and ecological needs and live free from want, inequality and indignity.
To mark this day, R2K in KZN will be hosting a Youth Dialogue under the theme: “who are we and what is our role in this democracy as young people” at Denis Hurley main hall in Durban.
EVENT DETAILS:
Venue: Denis Hurley Centre,
2 Cathedral Road, Durban central
Date: Sunday, 16 June 2019
Time: 10 am
For further comment contact:
Lazola Kati – R2K Communications Organiser: 072 956 7753
Sthembiso Khuluse – R2K KZN Organiser: 081 575 3832
Busi Mtabane – R2K National Communicator: 083 329 7844
