Elephant in the Room

If there’s one thing you can rely on in Eswatini besides unpredictable weather and the occasional cow crossing the highway, it’s the relentless negativity of social media’s self-appointed employment critics. These are the folks who seem to have taken an oath: No job opportunity shall pass by without being drowned in a sea of complaints, suspicions and bitter Facebook comments.

Take the recently announced army recruitment exercise. Now, for many young people, this was a chance to prove their fitness, their discipline and their willingness to serve the country. However, for our resident online grumblers, it was simply another opportunity to rehearse their favourite chorus: “Corruption! Nepotism! No one gets in unless they know someone!”. You’d think they were auditioning for the role of ‘Prophet of Doom’, in some amateur play.

Don’t get me wrong. Scepticism has its place. The way these people carry on, you’d swear their Wi-Fi data bundles are sponsored by misery itself.

They don’t apply for the jobs, they don’t encourage those who do; and they certainly don’t contribute towards creating opportunities. Yet, when someone else dares to try, they swoop in with their predictable gloom like seagulls at a picnic.

It’s almost impressive, really. Imagine the energy it takes to troll every government vacancy post, every private sector advertisement, every scholarship announcement. These people never miss a beat.

While others are updating their CVs, they are sharpening their cynicism. While hopeful applicants are preparing for fitness tests or interviews, our online hecklers are rehearsing their punchlines: “Lol, don’t bother, they already know who’s getting in.”

Here’s the question: If they’re so sure the jobs are already ‘allocated’,  why don’t they simply sit back, sip their Mageu and let life go on? Why do they feel compelled to discourage those who are still willing to try? Misery, as the old saying goes, loves company. Additionally, our trolls are desperate for companions on their sinking ship of despair.

Let’s be clear: Corruption is a serious concern and should always be confronted with facts, accountability and action. Though, confusing legitimate critique with constant negativity is like mistaking a referee’s whistle for a vuvuzela - it makes a lot of noise, but doesn’t help anyone play the game. What these professional naysayers fail to grasp is that their endless doomsday commentary doesn’t solve unemployment. It doesn’t create jobs. All it does is spread hopelessness, like a bad flu.

Ironically, you’ll never see these self-proclaimed watchdogs at the recruitment venues themselves. They never show up to ‘expose’ the corruption they claim is guaranteed. They are not there to mentor young people on preparing for applications, interviews or tests. They’re not even around to donate so much as a pen for filling in forms. Their activism begins and ends with emojis and badly spelled rants on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the young people who choose to ignore the noise and take a chance stand to gain something real: A career, a livelihood and dignity. For them, every opportunity, no matter how slim the odds, is worth the effort. If they don’t make it this time, at least they walk away fitter, wiser and better prepared for the next one. That’s a lot more than can be said for the perpetual critics, who only seem to grow their waistlines and bitterness with every passing year.

So, the next time another job opportunity is announced - whether it’s army recruitment, police intake or a company internship - let’s remind the doom-and-gloom brigade that their negativity is about as helpful as a broken umbrella in a thunderstorm.

If they can’t cheer others on, they should at least consider silence. Better yet, they could try being useful: HJost a CV-writing workshop, share interview tips, or - here’s a radical idea - encourage someone!

Eswatini’s unemployed youth don’t need trolls; they need hope, guidance and a reason to believe that effort still counts. If the critics aren’t offering any of that, perhaps it’s time they took their own advice and stayed out of the queue. After all, opportunities are for those who show up, not those who show off their negativity online.

Maybe, just maybe, if our resident prophets of doom invested half as much energy in building as they do in breaking down, we’d all be better off. Until then, let them continue their one-man theatre of bitterness. The rest of us have jobs to apply for, futures to build and - if we’re lucky - recruitment push-ups to survive.

For comments please email khulileb.thwala@gmail.com or call 7938 6923

If there’s one thing you can rely on in Eswatini besides unpredictable weather and the occasional cow crossing the highway, it’s the relentless negativity of social media’s self-appointed employment critics. (Pic: Sourced)