YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT STILL A MAJOR CONCERN

Sir,

The soft underbelly of the country’s sluggish and stagnant economy is poverty and unemployment. Poverty and high unemployment figures, coupled with apparent lack of sustainable development, have contributed to the country’s crumbling economy.

I am not sure if government has fully met the first goal of the MDGs, which aims at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, creating better employment opportunities, especially among the youth, because we are still lagging far behind in the SADC region.

The stress and strain of the increasing unemployment of the youth in the country is disturbing. The ever increasing disparity between the working population and the unemployed is worth considering since the unemployed group makes 53 per cent of the population and this reflects that unemployment figures are spiralling out of control.

The unemployed consists of, but not limited to, the youth, most of whom loiter in the streets with their qualifications, much to their dismay; because government has declared it won’t hire new staff, after the IMF had, on several occasions, warned government to cut its wage bill, which has reached unsustainable levels.

The socio-economic quagmire which the unemployed youth finds itself in has been exacerbated by politicians’ rocketing salaries, which makes the current wage bill stand at E640 million per month.
Unless we challenge the personality-based system, the obtaining socio-political mire will bask in its reflected glory, with the stranded youth resorting to crime and other morally unacceptable behavior.

One politician’s salary can almost pay for five people’s salaries per month. Much to the economic turmoil unfolding in the country, a package of E3 million is to be spent on buying government cars for two new ministers.
Seemingly, we have forgotten about the ever increasing unemployed youth which, in all honesty, should remain the centre of our focus.
We are showing no determined efforts, as a country, to curb the high unemployment figures, except for government’s reckless and irresponsible spending. Sadly, in an effort to generate revenue, government bites off more than the taxpayer can chew.

Simanga Shabangu

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