This is what the deputy minister of public enterprises, Bulelani Magwanishe, told delegates attending the metro’s Job Summit and Career Expo, in the Alberton Civic Centre, last week.
The municipality hosted hundreds of unemployed youth, presenting to them employment and training opportunities, through partnering with a number of organisations, in both the private and public sectors.
The deputy minister, when opening the event, last Tuesday morning, said this was an important occasion to acknowledge the role played by young people in the fight for freedom, and that history should remind the nation that it was an intention of the apartheid government to deprive the youth of career opportunities.
In this regard, he said, the period post 1994 presented the democratic government with the responsibility to transform the economic sector by equipping young people with skills and opportunities that enable them to fully participate in the economy.
“South Africa boasts a youthful unemployed population,” he added.
“Unless these young people are prepared today, for their tomorrow, the concept of transformation will remain an elusive dream.
“It will mean the struggles waged by generations of young people would have been in vain.” In line with the Presidency’s call for all spheres of government to channel all efforts to job creation, Magwanishe commended Ekurhuleni for responding to the President’s call with vigour.
“Our response to the announcement by the President was to adopt a new vision to drive investment, productivity and transformation in the department’s portfolio of state-owned businesses, their customers and suppliers, so as to unlock growth, drive industrialisation, create jobs and develop skills,” he said.
The deputy minister further indicated that, through interactions with provinces, the department has aligned planning in the different spheres so as to direct and heighten investment to the South African youths’ participation in the mainstream economy.
Magwanishe said the partnership with Ekurhuleni is critical, because it will take coordinated and proper planning to address the dire situation of the metro’s youth.
“The objective in this regard is to collaborate and maximise impact in areas where needs have been identified,” he said.
“Our Youth Economic Participation Programme has been able to identify some areas requiring our intervention.”
