Collen Malatji, the president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), has made a strong statement about South Africa’s unemployment crisis.

He’s warned that if the government doesn’t take action soon, the ANCYL will lead a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to demand change.

March for Change in Durban

Malatji and his team are gearing up for a significant demonstration in Durban on Monday, September 9, focused on tackling the high unemployment rate.

The Unemployment Crisis

South Africa’s unemployment rate is among the highest globally.

According to Statistics South Africa, it has reached a staggering 32.9% as of May.

The finance, construction, and social services sectors have been hit hardest.

A recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from the first quarter of 2024 shows that only 9.8% of employed youth have graduated.

The survey highlights that limited education, along with social and economic challenges, are major contributors to the high unemployment rate and the large number of youth who are neither employed, in education, nor training (NEET).

Malatji’s Call for Action

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Malatji emphasized that youth unemployment is a critical issue for the ANCYL.

He outlined their plan to address the problem, which includes reindustrializing the economy to create jobs from South Africa’s raw materials.

Malatji has expressed that if the government fails to act on their proposed solutions, including addressing export quotas and reindustrialization, the ANCYL will escalate their protests.

Malatji also pointed out that they encouraged young people to vote for the ANC in the May 29 elections, with the expectation that the new leadership would implement these necessary changes.

Now, it’s up to the government to meet these expectations and resolve the unemployment crisis.

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