CAPRICORN District Municipality (CDM) hosted a summit for young people at the Mankweng community hall last Friday to discuss the role of the municipality in the unemployment alleviation efforts in Limpopo.
Former CDM mayor Lawrence Mapoulo, said the unemployment figures of Capricorn painted a dark picture. He said in Aganang 65% of young people are unemployed, 47% in Blouberg, and 62% in Lepelle-Nkumpi. A total of 52% of young people in Molemole are unemployed and Polokwane has to deal with 42% of young people who are unemployed.
“We need to give young people hope, hope to have income and sustain their lives and their families so that they too can have a true reason to celebrate 20 years of freedom,” Mapoulo said.
The municipality also used the summit to provide job seekers with information and ideas and matched job seekers with potential employers.
Mapoulo said the biggest problem that the province faced when it comes to unemployment, is that young people lack skills, further education and experience and therefore cannot step into the job market.
He said the district’s 2030 growth and development strategy has packaged many solutions to create employment and reduce poverty. “We envisage reducing the unemployment rate to 35% in 2015 and 18% in 2030. Let us give hope to those who are teetering on the brink of hopelessness. Without hope of ever getting a decent job and enough money to live a normal life, many would be tempted to get involved in crime or seek escape into nothingness through the abuse of alcohol and drugs and resultant risky sexual behaviour and diseases, all which have become modern enemies of young people,” Mapoulo said.
Vusi Nthuli, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) representative said there was no greater dignity than being employed. One of the young people who attended the summit, Mpho Lephalala, said youth unemployment created angry young people desperate for an income.
