• 

By TUMI MMUSINYANE

This year marks the 45^th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 students marched for a better inclusive quality education without Afrikaans. However, the statistics show that the burden of unemployment is also concentrated amongst the youth as they account for 59, 5% (63%) of the total number of unemployed persons.

The unemployment rate among the youth is high irrespective of education level. The graduate unemployment rate was 40, 3% for those aged 15–24 and 15, 5% among those aged 25–34 years, while the rate among adults (aged 35–64 years) was 5, 4%.

You being employed by the Department of Labour, you should consider yourself to be privileged that you are not forming part of those unemployment statistics and you should not take it for granted that you are employed.

From my experience as some of you are inspectors, I have represented clients at the CCMA, Bargaining Councils and I have witnessed how a lot of our people are being oppressed at their workplaces and have referred many to Labour Department. However, your brothers and sisters instead of helping the oppressed took bribes from employers and made a lot of people suffer.

I just want to beg you not to follow the same and do the job that you are being paid for. Just have a conscience and ask how many people/families are going to suffer, sleep hungry by not doing your job, and accepting bribes from employers.

All of this is for the love of money, which is the root of all evil. At your age, (young) you still have an opportunity to be human and do the job that you are being paid already, contribute to a humane society.

Lately, nothing shocks anyone except our President and his Ministers when they talk to the media about youth. I am afraid to be the bearer of bad news that, ‘It’s because we have allowed them to be the charters of our destiny.”

Steve Biko said: “Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time. The greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the minds of those whom they oppress.”

Post-apartheid, are you being oppressed by your own leaders, into believing that they are doing their best to give you opportunities? Are you content that they are doing their best to give you those opportunities?

Then why are you still suffering? Your minds are soft like a sponge and you are used to be played at by those in position of authority. It may be those who have money, or in a position of power.

Because you want to belong, you are prepared to take away your wisdom, suppress your conscience, knowledge, and all the hard work just to please those in the position of authority. It may be those who have money, position of power, such as managers, your parents, church/cultural leaders, sangomas, traditional healers, politicians and rich people.

We have seen how even educated people are being used by powerful people to do all the wrong things and they know, but they sold their souls to the devil because of the desire to belong, being noticed, as soon as you get up and close to people in power.

Do not say I did not warn you, “You are next.” Selling our souls to people that have no interests of this country or yours in their cold hearts. We have failed Biko very badly, and continue to listen to every lie year in year out.

You have all been captured and you are not aware, and you will fight anyone who tries to enlighten you. I prefer telling the truth, even when it means that I will be ostracized for it. I made peace with it and live in harmony that I have not deceived anyone, served my role without fear, favour, and or prejudice, and sleeps peacefully.

Because I have realized how being used can be haunting, so whatever I will be saying today, it’s nothing but the truth. All you have to do is to open your mind to internalise it and decide to do something about your life or nothing because you are used to being exploited and they know you cannot do anything.

My message to you today is, I need you to charter your own way, using your own rules, do what you want because no one owns you or you should not be under anyone’s leash and that scares a whole lot of people when they do not know where you stand.

They devise rules, traps to catch, while afraid of you. It is exactly what they have done to you, you are being owned, being told what you can reach and not reach, do and not do, say and not say. Meaning, you can never stand for what is right because they own your mind a long time ago.

Your education system teaches you to be nothing but an ordinary employee, how to draft your CVs and lacks content that empowers you to be your own boss, establish, manufacture and own means of production. It’s not going to change because you go to universities where they offer irrelevant/outdated and expensive qualifications, only well on paper.

 When the rest of the world moves to technology, robotics and etc, ours is still trapped in the old way. Is this the life that you are living and wish to be even today, 26 years later?

I am not a politician, I do not speak like them and I wish not to be one. I am just a citizen who lives amongst politicians, religious people, atheists, culturalism, economist, scientists, liars, beggars, corrupters, and who look upon us to elevate them to the highest tables for a proper view of their food and who they loot with.

Often politicians like to say, leave politics to us politicians, yet they forget who put them up there? We the voters, but know politics will never leave you alone. They will follow you to the dungeon and even if you do not vote, you are nevertheless affected because Stalin once said: “People who cast votes decide nothing, but people who count the votes decide everything.”

I depict SA by referring it to Kwei Armah in his book: “Beautiful ones are not yet born”, where he deals with a state of shock, disappointment in how in Africa post-independence has left them to suffer in the hands of the big corrupt people that are protected by a net, while the same net allows for small ones to fall down and be caught by big ones without any remorse/conscience or consequences.

You follow a religion because that’s what your parents have introduced you to. Go to church every day but with no or little understanding of your purpose, religion teaches you to hate, scares you that you will go to hell, but what if you are already in hell?

Also, that you are told not to celebrate Ancestors Day. Why is everything that your see or hear has to be through someone else’s view? Do you even know that there is a bible out there called The “Cepher”, which has all those deleted scriptures when they amended the bible and introduced the New Testament in order to control you better?

I implore you to follow a spiritual law rather than religion, because religion was designed to help you connect with spirituality but not anymore. Spirituality requires you to be in harmony and in touch with the world that you live in and everything in it.

Spiritual messages and light can be carried by anyone you least expect but serves your spiritual journey as it teaches the wisdom to know when you are being taken for granted, how you relate with dissidents, and how to find peace above all. Seek spiritual guidance by meditating, spending some time alone quietly so, praying directly to God and guidance from your ancestors because you are a spiritual being with the ability to connect directly.

You hear news about economy and say that it does not concern you, yet worry when prices go up. You see in this world to survive, you need knowledge of politics, eco-social and cultural factors because all these come to play before you.

Ignore them at your own peril and be prepared to suffer.

When serious issues are discussed, it becomes a joke to all of you, but when things get wrong, you want answers. Answers from who when you spend most of your youth joking?

You agree to everything that comes.

The world requires knowledgeable people, where do you fall? Things not taught at school or being prepared for. If you want to change, be the change that you want to see in your world, do not expect to get it from anyone. They do not serve your interests and they will never do.

Even excuses are not going to help you, so charter your own path, and do it right now.

You are the future of this country and nothing stops you from being managers, CEOs, Drs, and lawyers, owners of things and not being made lapdogs and respecting the traditions that continue to oppress you more. What stops you from being the movers and shakers in your communities?

You let people in authority lie and continue to sell you the lie, while knowing to be. Please, when you become someone in power, may you do things differently from what is happening right now? Be the change and not be swallowed by leaders, power, and money like your brothers and sisters.

In fact, the greatest survival skills that you need out there is to be able to stand on your own against all odds. We know the majority of people are trying to make more money so that problems of this country do not apply to them and careless about social injustices taking place in front of them.

Sad thing for female youth is that those in power, are eager to sleep with you. In fact, the youth of this country is a bed for those in position of power to sleep in it, ibile ba sa kgathale (they care less).

It’s a common knowledge that some positions in government require female youth to sleep with those in power to be employed or to pay for employment with money they do not even have. If you refuse to pay or be in that bed, be prepared not to have everything this life offers because you are beating the hands that feeds or could feed you, however, I know not many are prepared to starve like that.

Chris Hani had this to say: “What I fear is that the liberators emerge as elitists, who drive around in Mercedes-Benzes and use the resources of this country… to live in palaces and to gather riches,”

Was he not being prophetic when you look at your own country right now? We are riddled with collapsing state institutions like ESKOM, DENEL, SABC, SAA, and PRASA. All being bailed out every year without consequential management.

Corruption is now endemic. It is a free-for-all, especially among members of the ruling elite who, famously, ‘did not join the struggle to be poor.’ Why are you just quiet when your future is being destroyed?

We are not going to change anything by keeping the status quo. You being handed t-shirts, food parcels and waiting on the government to give you everything for free. You need to be prepared to take what’s rightfully belongs to you as a youth by doing everything right.

Tapping into your Mind

I wish to see our youth taking charge of everything, challenging every norm, customs that are there. Setswana sa re “le ojwa le sale metsi”. I wish to see our youth being more informed and solve our problems using knowledge and insights and not violence.

I wish to see our youth not being easily bought with expensive whiskeys, girls being used as sex pawns for those in power and you guys being used as mere ice boys when your grandparents are in town, with their black SUVs, suits, blue lights and sending you around and running like headless chickens.

My dream for the youth of this country is, the youth that is not afraid to stand for the truth, speak for the truth, and fight for the truth.

Why as the youth of this country have you allowed yourselves to be captured and conditioned to move to adulthood under the same conditions and at a snail pace? Is it what Solomon Mahlangu fought for?

He was not afraid to lose his life so that his blood shall nourish the tree that shall bear the fruits of freedom. Amongst the others, he acquired his knowledge from reading-one of the books titled: the “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire’s, which in essence attempt to help the oppressed fight back to regain their lost humanity and achieve full humanization by starting with acquiring knowledge about the concept of humanization itself.

Now today, the only thing that matters to the youth at this time of the year is to wear their school uniforms and go to taverns- even at their workplaces to celebrate, but there is nothing tangible that changes beyond that uniform.

No quest to obtain knowledge or you believe knowledge is only about academic books and which in fact is not.

Villages, cities and towns where you come from, you have sewerages running in the streets, herein Taung, we have Taung Dam that never runs dry, but we have villages that go for months without water. Our province is known as a pothole province, famous for failure to provide basic services, while the country has electricity problems.

Your government has brought in foreign (Cuban) doctors and engineers and tells you that they are best to train you, do work here for your government because SA does not have such skills. What have they done to their country, since they took power 26 years ago?

Imagine and NGO (Gift of the Givers) solving a water shortage at a public hospital (Raheem Moosa), and it is reported that the government have had a serious water problems at the said hospital without a solution. Our government would rather outsource a tender for water trucks to supply water at a huge public purse.

We have people seating on their minds and being paid to do that. All is fine with you?

In our mind, everything is just fine, you will see that check-in and photoshoot is better at Taung Dam, and that is what your mind tells you, and does not see any injustices going on before your own eyes.

We prefer American and Eurocentric movies and music than our own. We hate our own languages so much that even we talk to our toddlers in English at home and be proud to say, they do not know our mother tongue- African languages.

We shun our own, but embrace everything we do not know. For anyone who becomes vocal about the injustices and lack of service delivery, it is a common practice that they are being bought (money, material) for silence or to abandon the social justice cause- you know them, they are in your communities.

We expect developments to be brought to our villages and towns and not be part of them except as runners, employees, and consumers and all of this is normal to the black majority and its leadership. The mind is not thinking and that is exactly what they want, not to think beyond.

This is what Biko warned us about that, if we do not get careful, they will take our minds and use it on our behalf. We will be as dead men walking.

We go to schools just to be perfect employees, just to pass and not question the system used to teach us. We go to churches to be exploited in the name of God because we cannot pray for ourselves. We are so used to others doing things for us, and this is what we excel in SA, folding hands. How do you expect to be helped when you have not begun a journey of self-discovery to help yourself?

In fact, why do we even allow Mandarin/Swahili in our schools when we have not even developed our own languages to be languages of business? When are we going to stop pleasing others, emancipate ourselves, and prioritise our identity?

Do you know that our courts have adopted English as the medium of instruction? At the same time, we now have universities adopting our languages as official languages and even translating and interpreting modules into our own languages? Only English and Afrikaans are being developed and the black majority is just folding their arms.

Who is going to teach your children and grandchildren accounting, engineering in African languages? When you at the back of your mind saying, but we have not been taught this in African languages. It begins with you, your attitude towards your identity and you are failing already to think of the possibility of it being a reality.

Do you know one of the greatest writers of Setswana, Ntate Solomon Thekisho Plaatjie who was the first to write in his own mother tongue did not go far with school, but managed to translate one of William Shakespeare’s books, Comedy of Errors into Setswana and called it Diphoshophoso?

His jurisprudence is what we rely upon today to position the development of Setswana equally to English and Afrikaans.

Do you know we have people of other races becoming expects in African studies, indigenous knowledge systems and some are even customary law experts (Whites). If we are allowed into their (Eurocentric) systems, we do our best to close the doors for (on) our own people and mimic what has been done and try to excel in entrenching western/colonial standards.

Imagine being told that you cannot wear your traditional clothes inside a shopping mall by a black manager? Wearing your traditional clothes only during weddings but you do not want to be told that you have been captured?

This is because you being the custodians of this entire rich heritage have no interests at all in preserving your heritage. You see no value in it. You see nothing wrong that all the books that you have studied or used from Grade 1 to college or university has all been written by other races for you.

We have allowed ourselves to be the marketers of foreign products and fail to create our own economy because we do not like one another to succeed. Blacks are the greatest consumers of everything that they do not produce. Knowledge must be at the forefront of it. It is only through knowledge that I was able to tell an old person “O bua maaka” and not being punished for it. You know why, because knowledge has no boundaries, no age, and no experience.

Youth know a lot of things that people who lead you know nothing about. Only if you invest more in knowledge, you will be able to achieve what Biko wished to have witnessed, which is Black Consciousness.

It is the attitude of mind and he will be grateful to know that, you use knowledge to cause revolution, freedom, emancipation from mental enslavement, development, sustainability, peace, harmony, and independence.

It is through knowledge that you will begin to understand the system where you stay, what you get, who leads you, how you conduct business, how you relate with people, and over and above, how you survive. Because in the end, it is not going to be about the cars you drove, where you live, how much money you have made, but what impact you have made.

No matter how many material possessions you may have, they are going to vanish.

But with knowledge, you are able to know bad and good and still do good by questioning the injustices when you see it happening to someone else.

We have detached ourselves from knowledge hence they take advantage of us. We are not united, that is why they thrive in dividing and ruling us. They also use your ignorance to flourish. They are so good that youth has become their runner for illegal activities, girls are sex pawn, boys are known as ice boys, or when they need to rent a crowd, they know youth is their choice.

The youth know nothing, follow blindly, want parties, and that’s what they know that you are good at.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

Professor Tumi Modisenyane is an Associate Professor at the North West University (Mahikeng campus). Modisenyane writes in his personal capacity and views raised in this article do not necessarily represent Taung DailyNews and its associates.

To read the whole speech, kindly visit Professor Mmusinyane’s Facebook page and get more details.   

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By OBAKENG MAJE

A 34-YEAR-OLD man is expected to appear at Moretele Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for rape, defeating the ends of justice and murder. 

According to the North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone, the suspect allegedly took his girlfriend, Monni Monyeki (28), and her daughter (15) to the river for ritual cleansing. 

It was reported that, during the ritual cleansing, the suspect gave his girlfriend and her daughter a liquid mixture to drink.

“The duo allegedly became unconscious immediately after drinking this mixture. The suspect allegedly raped a daughter and warned her not to tell anyone about the ordeal. He allegedly ferried the unconscious mother to his house in a wheelbarrow, while the daughter left to her mother’s family house,” he said.

Mokgwabone said Monyeki was never seen again afterward and this prompted her aunt to open a case of a missing person on 2 June 2021.

“The suspect allegedly along with the daughter of the deceased accompanied the aunt to the police station where the daughter explained to the police what transpired at that time.

“As a result, the suspect was immediately arrested for rape. Police continued with the search for Monyeki and in the turn of event, the suspect who allegedly continued to deny the whereabouts of the deceased, relented and took the police for pointing out,” said Mokgwabone.

He further said Monyeki’s burnt and decomposed body was found buried in a shallow grave in the bushes between Mathibestad RDP Section and Rajiepane village on 12 June 2021. Mokgwabone added that the preliminary investigation revealed that some of the body parts were missing.

“The charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice were added to the suspect’s charge sheet. He will appear in court for the second time for a formal bail application on all the charges. Investigation into the matter continues,” he said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

• 

By OBAKENG MAJE

More bodies of illegal miners are expected to be discovered at abandoned China Africa Precious Metals (CAPM) mining shaft. This comes after a gruesome discovery of 20 severely burnt bodies of illegal miners stashed in a grain near the area recently.  

North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone, said the unidentified bodies were found at two various locations on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mokgwabone said the first five decomposed bodies were found at approximately 7pm on Tuesday, outside an old and unused mine shaft ventilation in Lawrence Park, Orkney.

“On Wednesday, 14 more decomposed bodies were found along Ariston Road near the railway line in Orkney. While still processing the scene, the police received information that another body was discovered where the initial five bodies were found, thus bringing a total number to 20.

“All these deceased are suspected to be illegal miners commonly known as “zama zamas” operating in obsolete shafts in Orkney and Stilfontein. Furthermore, as part of investigations, post-mortems will be conducted to determine the cause of their deaths,” said Mokgwabone.

He further said the investigation into the matter continues and it includes the possibility of linking the incident with the video that was circulated on social media platforms wherein a man calling himself “Mafifi” was seen pleading for assistance following an apparent smoke inhalation occurrence at shaft 6.    

Meanwhile, the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the North West said it was shocked following the gruesome discovery. Now, SANCO provincial chairperson, Paul Sebegoe calls on authorities to intensify the crackdown on unlawful mining operations.

“We condemn in the strongest terms these ghastly and horrendous criminal acts. The slaughter fields must be shut down for illegal mining operations before more dead bodies are retrieved or are in some cases buried clandestinely underneath the belly of the earth.

“It is a travesty of justice that shocking atrocities of this nature are committed with impunity by the so-called zama-zamas, while municipal authorities, the Department of Mineral Resources and law enforcement agencies are seemingly turning a blind eye to the nefarious activities that have shown no regard for the value of human lives,” he said.

Sebegoe also called for the establishment of an integrated specialised unit to tackle the economic crimes committed by ruthless syndicates that are taking advantage of desperate unemployed people from neighbouring countries.

He said mining houses should be held accountable for their failure to rehabilitate abandoned mines.

“They are indirectly responsible for illegal activities that are claiming the lives of desperate miners, who are lured to death traps by ruthless crime syndicates. We urge police to investigate whether human trafficking is not involved in these atrocious activities.

No stone should be left unturned. Justice for victims must be served without compromise, says Sebegoe.  

North West Premier, Prof Job Mokgoro along with North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport, Sello Lehari are expected to visit the area today following the Minister of Energy, Gwede Mantashe’s visit yesterday.  

The police request anyone who may have information regarding the incident to call  Colonel Gaanakgomo at 082 568 5975 or South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Stop number: 08600 10111. Anonymous tip-offs can also be communicated via My SAPS App. The information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

 

• 

By STAFF REPORTER

South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa said even though the challenge of youth unemployment can seem insurmountable, the government will continue to forge forward in creating job opportunities for the youth.

Ramaphosa was addressing the nation virtually on June 16 commemoration. He said it is worrisome that 64% of youth are unemployed.

“Nearly 64% of young people in South Africa are unemployed and this is something no country can afford. Young people are the force that drives a country and grows its economy. They are a source of innovation and new ideas. 
 
“Young people have energy and talent. They are resilient and never give up, even when it is difficult. Right now, our economy is suffering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. A situation that was already bad, has gotten worse,” he said. 
 
Ramaphosa further said the government is putting young people at the centre of our national recovery. He added that it is the singular focus of his administration to ensure that young people are given access to opportunities, so they can better themselves, that they can drive change in their communities, and contribute to our economy.
 
“As government, we are driving a number of initiatives, some of which began before the pandemic. Although we have had to adjust our plans, we will not go back on our commitments.
 
“We launched the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention in February last year, just weeks before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in South Africa. The intervention includes a range of priority actions to boost youth employment over the next five years,” said Ramaphosa.
 
He said the Presidential Employment Stimulus is another initiative from which young people have benefited. According to Ramaphosa, the Presidential Employment Stimulus is now the largest public employment programme in the country and is the fastest to reach such a large scale. 
 
“In the education sector alone, 320,000 young people have been placed as education assistants and general assistants in 24,000 public schools across the country. Of these, 65% are young women. They are working with our learners and helping to lighten the load for our educators. 
 
“Many of the participants were unemployed before being given this opportunity. Now, they are earning a living, enabling them to support themselves and their families, and to purchase goods and services that support local economies,” he said.

Ramaphosa said through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, 50,000 subsistence farmers across the country have received input vouchers. He said 60% of these farmers are young people. 
 
“Beneficiaries can use these vouchers to get inputs like feed, seeds, fertilizer and other goods they need to produce food. As part of this programme, we brought in 2,000 young agriculture studies graduates to help with beneficiary verification. 
 
“For the first time, we now have a database of subsistence farmers in South Africa. The Presidential Employment Stimulus has also supported over 10,000 jobs in business process outsourcing, with most of these jobs going to the youth,” said Ramaphosa. 
 
It was also reported that around 1,800 young people have been given jobs in a number of public works projects including the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme. He said with funding from the stimulus, 1,200 youth-owned micro-enterprises have received support from the National Youth Development Agency. 
 
“Another successful programme that is continuing to create work opportunities for young black South Africans is the Youth Employment Service, known as YES. With the support of corporate partners, it has created 55,000 work experiences since its inception, injecting R3.1 billion in youth salaries back into the economy.
 
“In the coming year, YES aims to double this to 100,000 quality work experiences. The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention will build on all of these successes. To translate potential into opportunity, we are very pleased today to officially launch SA Youth, the national pathway management network,” he said.
 
Ramaphosa said this initiative brings together eight government departments led by the Department of Employment and Labour, to form a network that will support young people to find pathways into the economy. 
 
He said they have forged strong partnerships with the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and other organisations to establish this network.
 
“Through these partnerships, we have developed an online platform called SAYouth.mobi. I want to make a call to young South Africans to register on SAYouth.mobi. 
 
“You can create a profile, view opportunities for learning and earning, and receive support through multiple channels. SAYouth.mobi has been zero-rated by all mobile networks so that it can be accessed by young people from anywhere in the country at absolutely no cost,” Ramaphosa said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

• 

By OBAKENG MAJE

The security officers are regarded as frontline personnel providing security in almost every facet of life in South Africa. However, most security guards continued to be exploited by their employers.

This was palpable yesterday in Taung after security guards from Diphetogo Private Security Company, which is contracted to the Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM), embarked on a violent protest citing unfair dismissal and non-payments.

They alleged the company continues to violate them and unfairly dismissed some of their colleagues. Therefore, the smooth-running of the municipality was affected after the disgruntled security guards down tools and barricaded all the municipal entrances with burning tyres and rocks.

@IceT_
Greater Taung local municipality right now pic.twitter.com/StHd87psuF

— Monnawaka (@MorwamothoKay) June 15, 2021

One of the security guards who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said: “The company does not care about us. Even the managers here, told us to go and jump because there are so many people who are looking for a job. So, ill-treatment towards security guards compromises security.

“It is imperative for government to adopt security guards and pay them directly. This will assist to provide effective training and coherent registration of security guards and stop paying millions of rand to private companies,” he said.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Labour Desk administrator at the municipality, Mosimanegape Jafta said: “We joined the protest in quest of assisting these poor employees. The company continues to violate them and it is alleged that some employees were unfairly dismissed.  

“They were allegedly fired without under-going any disciplinary actions. It is alleged that the company is also purging those who stand in solidarity with those who were fired. The company has sent them dismissal letters without any explanation.”

Jafta said the security guards’ job, is critical and they need to be treated better. He said most of them receive ‘diminutive’ salaries and wake up early in the morning at around 3am, while putting their lives at risk.

Re Aga Taung Civic Organisation (RATCO) chairperson, Modisaotsile Lebitse shared the same sentiments. Lebitse said even though the role of labour broking in the private security industry is permissible in the country, most of these companies go to rural areas, get lucrative contracts, but exploited their employees.  

“Unfair labour practices especially in the security industry create a vicious cycle of poverty for others and unfortunately, the security guards bear the brunt of this variance.

“These security guards have also been reporting the unfair labour practices of their employers to the municipality, but they have been largely ignored. So, we call on the municipality to terminate the contract of Diphetogo Private Security Company with immediate effect,” he said.

Meanwhile, the municipal mayor, Oageng Seleke said he could not comment on the matter as they were still engaged in a meeting. Diphetogo Private Security Company management was also not available before publishing this article, but the meeting between all stakeholders is expected to take place on Thursday to find a ‘lasting solution’ to the matter.  

taungdailynews@gamil.com

• 

By OBAKENG MAJE

A 29-YEAR-OLD man will briefly appear at Taung Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application on Tuesday. Gideon Matsitle was arrested for murder after he allegedly stabbed Reaoleboga “Masango” Sesing (27) to death with a broken bottle at a local tavern in Maphoitsile village, near Taung a week ago.

North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said: “We can confirm that the occurrence did take place. As a result, a case of murder was opened after a man was allegedly stabbed to death with a broken bottle.

“A suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. He appeared in Taung Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was remanded in custody until 15 June 2021 for a formal bail application,” Mokgwabone said.

Meanwhile, Mokgwabone said the tavern owner was fined R5000 for contravention of the Disaster Management Act Regulations after he alleged organized a 24-hour bash – selling of liquor during the curfew.

Mokgwabone said no fine was previously issued to the owner for non-compliance. This was contrary to some people who alleged that the tavern owner’s license was previously confiscated for contravention of the Disaster Management. 

taungdailynews@gmail.com

• 

By OBAKENG MAJE

High rate of unemployment continues to ravage the youth in South Africa. According to www.statssa.gov.za, the burden of unemployment is also concentrated amongst the youth as they account for over 60% of the total number of unemployed persons.

The website said the unemployment rate among the youth is higher irrespective of education level. It reported that 2018, the graduate unemployment rate was 33,5% for those aged 15–24 and 10,2% among those aged 25–34 years, while the rate among adults (aged 35–64 years) was 4,7%.

“Just over 30% of the youth have jobs and about half of them participate in the labour market. Within the youth, those aged 15–24 years are more vulnerable in the labour market with an unemployment rate of over 52%, an absorption rate of about 12,2% and a labour force participation rate of 25,6%.

“When young people are employed in the South African labour market, their employment intensity is the highest amongst the Trade, Agriculture, and Finance and other business services industries.”

The www.statssa.gov.za reported that low and semi-skilled youth employment is concentrated in the Trade industry, while high-skilled youth employment is in the Community and social services as well as Finance and other business services industries.

Even though the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa shared the same sentiments, he said creating more opportunities for young people and supporting them to access these opportunities, is the government’s foremost priority.

Ramaphosa further said everything that they do as a government, contributes towards improving the lives of young people.

“Tackling youth unemployment requires accelerating economic growth, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, and building the capability of the state to fulfil its developmental role.

“We are also driving this agenda through a series of targeted interventions. These include the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has provided work opportunities and livelihoods support for many young people,” said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa added that this week, on Youth Day, they will be launching a range of additional measures to create opportunities, enhance skills development, support young entrepreneurs and enable the full participation of young people in the economy.

He said this includes the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network, SA Youth, to make it easier for young people to view and access opportunities and receive active support to find pathways into the labour market.

“These are among the priority actions of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which was launched just weeks before we entered a national lockdown last year and which is now entering full implementation.

“The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was built on the understanding that to address the youth unemployment crisis requires innovative thinking and strong partnerships across society,” said Ramaphosa.

He said government’s ultimate objective is to find models that work, whether in skills development or active labour market policies, and to scale these models rapidly to reach as many young people as possible.

Ramaphosa said most importantly, it recognises that young people must be at the centre of any effort to boost youth employment.

“Young people are our greatest asset, and our greatest weapon in this fight. As we pay tribute to the youth whose courageous activism won us our freedom, we also salute the resilience of every young person who is playing their part to build and develop this country.

“They are the young people volunteering in our communities, building our country through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, running their own businesses and studying to better themselves,” he said.

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the North West said it defined youth unemployment as a ‘ticking time bomb’ that needs to be urgently defused.

SANCO provincial chairperson, Paul Sebegoe said: “The youth economic participation is critical to extricate them from the cyclical poverty trap characterised by rising unemployment and inequality.

“The efforts of government departments as well as State-Owned Enterprises (SOE’s) must be geared towards effectively addressing youth development including job creation identified as key priorities in the National Development Plan and reaffirmed in the Economic Recovery Plan.”

taungdailynews@gmail.com

   

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By OBAKENG MAJE

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) scandal has rocked the North West Education department. This comes after the department allegedly irregularly appointed a service provider to provide 50 000 three-layered masks to the tune of R1.2 million.

According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, the service provider allegedly inflated prices.  

“As part of the investigations in the North West Education department, the SIU received allegations that the service provider was irregularly appointed to supply 50 000 layered masks to the department to the value of R1.2 million.

“We have since found irregularities in the part of Supply Chain Management process and the service provider has supplied the PPEs at the inflated price. We have also not found facts that the service provider has indeed delivered the masks,” Kganyago said.

He further said the SIU has recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the official involved in corruption. Kganyago added that they are also going to brief the council to try and set aside the contract and recover any money losses that might have been suffered.

The North West Education department did not respond to our text messages and calls before publishing this article.

Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Committee on Section 100 Intervention in the North West Province chairperson, China Dodovu said they have met with the law enforcement agencies on Friday to receive updates on investigations into allegations of fraud and corruption related to the section 100 intervention.

Dodovu said the committee received updates from the Hawks, the Special Investigative Unit (SIU), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Asset Forfeiture Unit on different cases under investigations relating to allegations of fraud and corruption that led to the government placing the provincial administration under administration in 2018.

“These cases are intense, heavy stuff, like a horror movie, it is unbelievable that these things are happening where people just steal, loot and plunder resources of the state in this manner, it is very shocking and concerning that we had to deteriorate to this level”, said the Chairperson of the committee.

“The law enforcement agencies must save the country from criminality, by ensuring that those who plunder state resources are dealt with according to law. The committee was, however, concerned about the pace of the North West investigations and the capacity of the law enforcement agencies. The Zondo Commission is moving closer to completion and there is anticipation that there will be a lot of cases to be investigated,” he said.

Dodovo asked: “With the pace that you are moving with the North West investigations, will you have the capacity to deal with all the cases?”

The lifespan of the Ad Hoc committee will come to an end on the 24th of June 2021 and the committee will table its report before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Its recommendations will include proposals to strengthen the capacity of the law enforcement agencies.

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