Despondent university graduates, who are without work, are demanding action from the government. A few dozen members of the Unemployed Graduate Movement gathered in Pretoria for a March to the Union Buildings. Courtesy #DStv403
PRETORIA - Despondent university graduates who are without work are demanding action from government.
A few dozen members of the Unemployed Graduate Movement gathered in Pretoria for a march to the Union Buildings.
But lockdown regulations meant it was a brief picket.
About half of South Africans between the ages of 15 and 34 years are unemployed and the COVID-19 pandemic is going to make it worse.
The protesters believe government should have used the outbreak to address unemployment.
“Graduates are not taken seriously in this country. We are not included in policy positions which are made in this country," said Sthembiso Shandu.
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"In everything that is happening, graduates are not taken seriously. And we are saying government, we have solutions. Can you please listen to us.”
But while they appeal to the government to come up with solutions, the graduates don’t appear to have any of their own.
“The government must create policies that are influential. As the unemployed graduates...we have created a policy that must allow young people to be part of the job market," said the movement's Nkululeko Ndlovu.
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"We do have a policy. I’m saying the policy that we have speaks to transform young people. It’s a policy that has transformation and a policy that’s going to transform the lives of young people. ”
The group has given government a week to respond or they say they’ll make the country ungovernable.
