By OBAKENG MAJE

The high rate of unemployment continues to have a negative impact on people especially those in deep rural areas. Katlego Setlhapelo (38) from Pudimoe Township near Taung said, since he was retrenched back in 2015, life has been difficult.

Setlhapelo said he had to come up with a back-up plan to earn a living because he stays only with her mother who is a pensioner.

“I am now washing sneakers for people to earn an income. So, I started with this initiative after being retrenched from my previous job in Rustenburg. I saw this idea while in Rustenburg and I implemented it here at home.

“Before this, I tried my level best to look for a job, but my attempts were futile. So, I charge R40 per sneaker and I have been receiving unwavering support from my community since then,” he said.

Setlhapelo said even though some customers take long before they could come and fetch their sneakers, atleast he can put food on the table at the end of the day. He also urged anyone who could assist him with a proper structure with shelter to come forward because during the rainy season, he cannot perform his duties due to bad weather conditions.

“If I have a proper structure where I can work from, I think I could also create more job opportunities for other people. It is hard because our leaders do not take us seriously, especially the youth. When it is during voting time, they will come to us, but if there are job opportunities, they call their cronies,” he said.

Another young person, Palesa Pule (25) from Dinokana village in Zeerust, who is a Political Science and International Relations graduate from the North West University (NWU) shared the same sentiments.

“I’ve always dreamt of a corporate job, so I followed my dream and went in to enrol for a course that I believed could open doors for me to serve the people of my country. However, all that vanished in front of my eyes.

“I completed my degree in 2018, and I have been unemployed since then. I sought and actively applied for any vacancy possible without even being picky about the job because all I wanted was to work,” Pule said.

However, due to the high level of unemployment, Pule said she figured out that, one should by any means, put bread on the table.

“I ventured into entrepreneurship with very little knowledge, but with so much determination. I started by registering a decor and catering company called Dimpho Home Incentives PTY (LTD), which now has five permanent employees.

“I have now forgotten about the struggle of job hunting. The level of job scarcity in our country is without a doubt embedded in the preferences and requirements that come with the job specifications,” said Pule.

The chairperson of the Re Aga Taung Civic Organisation, Modisaotsile Lebitse (40) called on policymakers and leaders to address treble challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty, as they are interdependent socio-economic phenomena.

“High rate of unemployment is a thorn in the flesh, especially in Taung. Our area is rich in mineral resources like diamonds, tourism, and agriculture. However, we continue to live beyond the poverty line.

“We are going to sign a petition to ensure that mining investors come on board and ensure that job opportunities are created. Remember, the high rate of unemployment contributes to socio-economic challenges such as crime, high rate of pregnancies among young people, drug, and alcohol abuse.”

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By REGINALD KANYANE

The emotional pictures of a man from Pompong Section in Dryharts village near Taung, who was left destitute after his house was demolished by torrential rains left people distressed.

Piet Masibi (65), who stayed with his father, Andries Masibi (86) said his one roomed house was ruined by torrential rains on Sunday morning.   

“I do not have anywhere to go after my house was destroyed by torrential rains. I don’t even know where I will sleep tonight, so I urge anyone who could assist with anything to come forward. I have lost all my belongings because of the torrential rains and I’m also in need of a shelter.

“I have communicated with our ward councillor and he said he will only be able to assist on Tuesday. However, my situation is too bad to wait for Tuesday as I need a temporary shelter. So, I will highly appreciate it if there is any good Samaritan out there who could assist,” he said.

The Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe said: “We will liaise with our ward councillor to go and assess the situation of the affected family and we will take it from there. However, the municipality will definitely assist with a temporary solution for now and all administrative issues will be dealt with on Tuesday.”

Meanwhile, South Africa was hit hard by a massive and lethal downpour earlier this week, where Kwazulu-Natal province is the most affected. The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Machwene Semenya said she has observed with concern the destruction of property in KwaZulu-Natal.

Semenya also urged the Department of Human Settlements to work with other government departments on all levels to find alternative accommodation for residents affected by the floods.

“We have received worrying reports that RDP houses and other dwellings have been destroyed by the storm, which has left many families destitute. We welcome the announcement made by the national government that KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a disaster area, which will assist in unlocking necessary resources to develop shelter for the people.

“We also extend our heartfelt condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones during this tragedy. Despite the obvious budgetary shortfalls that the department is facing, we urge the department to rally its stakeholders and agencies in efforts to rebuild infrastructure in KZN,” Semenya said.

She further said the committee urged departmental agencies, such as the Housing Development Agency and the National Housing Finance Corporation to enhance their systems to ensure that rebuilding efforts are not hampered.

Semenya added that the committee will hold a meeting with the department to assess the overall impact of the storm, the department’s interventions and plans to rebuild the affected houses.

“But the immediate concern is that the affected communities must be provided with interim shelter to alleviate the impact of the storm. In the long term, the committee will be preoccupied with how the department will speed up implementation of its projects to ensure that communities are provided with quality human settlements,” she concluded.

Anyone who would like to assist the Masibi family can contact Piet Masibi on 0788464161 or Kabelo Moshwetsi on 0762021209.  

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