Youth Wage Subsidy March Speech

Note to editors: This is an extract of the address delivered by DA Youth Leader Makashule Gana outside COSATU House, Braamfontein as part of the DA's Youth Wage Subsidy March.

Thank you for the opportunity to address you and thanks very much for gracing our event. It has been 18 years since the birth of our democracy.  Under normal circumstances the 18th anniversary of our democracy would be a cause for celebration for every South African. Unfortunately, for the millions of unemployed young South Africans there is very little to celebrate.  

To add insult to injury, we have organisations like Cosatu that are hell bent on blocking policy proposals meant to address the youth unemployment crisis we face as a country. I want to make it clear that this march is not anti-Cosatu or anti-worker. The march is about the introduction of the youth wage subsidy scheme. We are not here to fight Cosatu or their leaders, we are here to ask Cosatu to consider their position on the youth wage subsidy. I have no reason to hate Cosatu; I was brought up in a working class family and my mother was a loyal member of a trade union. Most of us here were brought up in working class and poor families. There are areas on which we agree with Cosatu, for example corruption and e-tolls. We unfortunately do not agree with their stance on the youth wage subsidy.

For a long time Cosatu has potrayed themselves as the champions of the poor and working class. They have claimed their undying love for the poor, but truth be told they only care about their members. They do not care about the plight of millions of unemployed young people in this country. Cosatu can no longer claim to represent the poor, unless unemployed young people do not form part of their definition of the poor.

Cosatu as a representatives of workers is basically saying, ‘if you are not a worker, we will not consider your interest. We will wait until you are employed so that we can recruit you'. This is one fundamental point where we as the DA Youth differ from Cosatu. We represent all young people, with a strong bias towards the unemployed youth. We want to see young people gaining employment and contributing to the development of this beautiful country of ours. We do not want to see young people roaming the streets doing nothing. Cosatu and its leaders seem to be happy to do that.

Just last week, Statistics South Africa released the latest unemployment statistics showing that over 70% of our economically active young people between the ages of 16 and 35 are unemployed. This should be a wake-up call to all the policy makers and representatives of government, labour, business and civil society to do something about this crisis, this ‘ticking time bomb', to use Zwelinzima Vavi's words. We have a policy proposal that is supported by both the Cabinet and business organizations which, if implemented, will go a long way toward addressing the youth unemployment crisis. 

Unfortunately we have organizations like Cosatu who are blocking the introduction of a youth wage subsidy scheme at Nedlac. They are basically holding almost 500 000 unemployed young people hostage. I wonder if they are able to sleep at night knowing that they are responsible for these young people not gaining employment. They even claim to be shocked by the high levels of unemployment, especially amongst young people. It is shocking that they are shocked. They lock the door and then act surprised when no one is leaving the room that they locked. 

To Cosatu, you have made your point in locking the door and holding the unemployed youth hostage at Nedlac. We are here as the DA Youth to pay the ransom on behalf of unemployed young people of our country. We are not here to demand, we are here to plead with you to consider your position on the introduction of the youth wage subsidy. We can assure you that it will not have a negative impact on your members; it will not change the working conditions and the pay levels.

The introduction of the scheme will benefit the country and its people; we will have young people contributing to the development of the country assisted by the experienced workforce. If the youth wage subsidy were to lead to the retrenchment of the current workforce, the DA Youth would never support such a move. 

Cosatu, please help us diffuse this ticking time bomb. Support the youth wage subsidy scheme. 

Issued by the Democratic Alliance, May 15 2012

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