NGO fights for unemployed youth

Practical and Radical Economic Transformation (PRET) is yet another non-profit organisation that seeks to prioritise employment opportunities for local people.

Self-purported millionaire and successful business owner Themba Sgudla is the president of the organisation and hails from Mpumalanga.

He said PRET SA is not an employment agency but aims to engage government and the private sector to find solutions for the fight against unemployment.

“We have also registered to contest the 2019 elections.

We want to change the political game.

We will vote nobody but ourselves,” said Sgudla.

He said this organisation will ensure that government appoints or contracts companies in Tembisa that employ local people so that 30% of the contract’s budget will empower local people and remain in Tembisa.

He said Tembisa’s people must benefit from the economy.

“OR Tambo international airport is right next to Tembisa and yet Tembisa entrepreneurs cannot be suppliers to the airport.

“We will discuss with the President how to include Tembisan people to be suppliers in that company,” said Sgudla.

He said every house in Tembisa must have a PRET member because each family in Tembisa has an unemployed person.

Sgudla said the organisation started in Mpumalanga where they realised that in the forefront of every protest there were unemployed young people leading the protest.

He further explained that as organisers of PRET SA, they have realised that the core reason for protests was not a genuine service delivery concern but was frustration with unemployment.

“We took these young people to an unemployment summit that we had organised.

“We mobilised all subregions in Inkangala and got 5700 young people to a set venue,” said Sgudla.

He said that is where they gave the unemployed youth a platform to talk about their frustrations and to find solutions to the unemployment problem.

He said Mpumalanga has a large mining industry but mines refuse to employ local people.

“The companies told the youth that they do not have the appropriate skills.

“Therefore, they continue to absorb foreign skills and also hire unskilled foreign nationals,” said Sgudla.

He said they then engaged the companies and as a result, they were able to secure 450 000 new jobs for the frustrated young people in Mpumalanga.

Sgudla said youth problems in Tembisa are not different and PRET is aiming to assist them in getting employment so they can participate in the economy.

They were able to sign up 7600 unemployed people to be members of PRET SA.