Graduates plead for UN intervention to tackle lack of jobs
“Schools are facing a serious crisis of drug abuse, bullying, killing of teachers and other matters should be attended to by social workers.”
A group of social worker graduates petitioned the UN office in Pretoria CBD to assist the government roll out jobs and address drug abuse at schools, bullying and murders.
Group spokesperson and unemployed social worker Nonkululeko Mdiniso accused the department of social development of failing to employ them due to budget constraints.
She said this led them to protest on Monday to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the United Nations on Francis Baard street.
Mdiniso said unemployed graduates were frustrated as many have held qualifications such as honours degrees in social work since 2010 but remained unemployed.
“As social workers, we call on the UN to follow up with the government on the sustainable development goal 8 (SDG 8) implementation to help address the provision of employment and decent work for unemployed social workers.”
Mdiniso said she graduated from Unisa in 2018 and completed her practicals at the department of social development.
“I’m 39 years now and have two kids who are depending on me and I can’t offer them anything at home. I’m depending on my brother who is working at a funeral parlour.”
“My brother even buys me toiletries and I’m embarrassed because I’m a graduate. I was supposed to take care of my family by now,” said Mdiniso.
She said the desperation for jobs led the group to the UN for assistance in their fight for decent work opportunities and economic growth.
“Despite the widespread adoption toward the SDG, South Africa continues to lag when it comes to employment of social workers.”
She said on several occasions, the UN had underlined the importance of governments creating jobs – and decent work – for all, to eradicate poverty.
“Despite all the beautiful resolutions adopted, our social workers continue to live in poverty despite the huge demand for our services in the communities.”
“Jobs have not been generated.”
Mdiniso said social workers were frontline essential professionals that were much-needed in South Africa, to alleviate the social conditions of people in vulnerable communities suffering from social deprivation.
“Social ills affecting families, such as gender-based violence have uncontrollably increased in South Africa.”
“This is due to substance abuse, mostly alcohol being the contributing factor to GBV.”
She said communities and schools were plagued by various ills that needed the intervention of social workers.
“Schools in our country are facing serious crises due to drug use, bullying, teachers being assaulted or killed.”
Mdiniso believed that employing social workers would reduce the social ills in the country.
“Ensuring sufficient employment opportunities and decent work for all people is one of the most pressing challenges.
“We have consulted with the Department of Social Developmentsince 2016 with the same response of no budget to employ social workers.”
The group handed over a memorandum of grievances to the UN.
They demanded that the UN do the following:
– bring together relevant government departments to discuss the employment needs of graduates.
– get the UN development programme (UNDP) and South Africa’s unemployed social workers to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to tackle unemployment.
– devise a framework for collaboration and plan for creating opportunities for the unemployed social workers.
– mobilise the financial resources of the UNDP to implement programmes to provide opportunities for unemployed social workers.
UN field security associate Mosala Motsididi received the memorandum and signed it.
“I will be taking it to the highest office,” said Motsididi.
The department of social development had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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