The DA will unlock the potential of Tshwane’s youth

20 May 2016

Good afternoon

I would like to thank you for this opportunity to address you today.

As a son of Tshwane it fills me with great optimism seeing so many young people in this city coming out to engage on the important issues facing South Africa.

I know that many of you sitting here today are concerned about the direction our country is heading in. You have a right to be concerned.

Just last week the latest unemployment statistics were released and they do not tell a good story.

Unemployment among young people has gotten so bad that half of those under the age of 35 are now are without work or the hope of finding work.

In Tshwane unemployment has increased to almost 30% in the first quarter of 2016. 

In fact, the number of those without jobs, or who have given up looking for jobs, grew by 40,000 in the first 3 months of the year.

That is 40,000 more residents of Tshwane who do not have the means to support themselves and their loved ones.

40,000 more residents of Tshwane who are left without hope by an ANC government that only works for itself and not the people.

The rise in unemployment brought on by the ANC’s failed economic policies is a crime against all South Africans.

But their greatest crime is to leave South Africa with a generation of young people who are not only unemployed, but increasingly unemployable.

Children are put through a school system that is grossly under-resourced and does not prepare them adequately to become active participants in the economy. 

For those who manage to qualify for tertiary education, they must then struggle to get financing to pay for an education.

But with NSFAS only able to cover roughly half of those of qualify, and universities not receiving the funds they need from the government, the reality is that many young people with the ability to study are excluded from the opportunity.

And for those who do manage to get a degree, they must then struggle to find work in a very competitive labour market. 

It is this constant struggle against a system that has left young people without opportunities to pursue a life of value that has left them angry and frustrated.

Whenever I engage with young people in Tshwane I hear their frustration when I am told of their inability to find work.

They are tired of Sputla’s government in this city. 

They are tired of his empty and broken promises. 

They are tired of hearing about the jobs he is supposedly creating when they know the truth.

And they are tired of his mega vanity projects that costs the residents of Tshwane millions while young people remain without work.

Every day they face the reality that while Sputla talks about job creation, the unemployment rate has not declined.

The City of Tshwane has enormous potential but under Sputla and the ANC’s control that potential is not being realised.

Progress in the Capital has stalled as a result of the corruption of the ANC who work first and foremost to enrich themselves, and not he residents they are meant to serve.

The failure of Sputla’s government to empower the youth of Tshwane MUST be stopped.

But I am here to tell you today that it CAN be stopped.

Together we can change to Tshwane that will turn this City around and start to move it forward again. 

The DA’s Manifesto for Change is our plan to bring an honest government to Tshwane that will stop corruption, deliver better services and create jobs.

It is our plan to see Tshwane start making progress again; to make this City great!

I would like to tell you today about 5 aspects of the DA’s plan to create jobs in Tshwane and empower the youth.

Of course this depends broadly on empowering businesses in the City by creating a regulatory business environment that promotes growth and innovation and facilitates job-creating investment.

But more than just making sure that Tshwane is business friendly, as Mayor I will do everything in my power to create opportunities for young people in particular.

One of the biggest hurdles young people face is the struggle to get work experience. That is why, firstly, I will endeavour to establish an internship program in the City to allow matriculants and graduates to gain workplace experience in government.

Secondly, I will also look to increase the budget for programmes to assist young people to become employed. In the 2015 financial year. The DA-run City of Cape Town spend R71 million to assist unemployed matriculants or young people to gain employment, this was more than Johannesburg and Tshwane combined.

Thirdly, we will establish functional Job Centres located across the City to serve as contact points between employers and jobseekers. This will promote social capital and enable thousands of unemployed residents to earn a living.

Fourthly, through the establishment of City Improvement Districts we will breathe new life into the city centres of Pretoria and Centurion. This will rekindle the business and cultural life of these spaces and draw in young people where they will find work and make a life for themselves.

And lastly, to accommodate its young and vibrant population, we will bring Tshwane into the 21st century by implementing an e-portal for various services. 

Developers will be able to submit and track the progress of development applications online, while various other municipal business, such as trading licenses and paying municipal charges, will also be brought online.

The municipality can never be the cause of delays when it comes to attracting investment and creating jobs. A lean administration that cuts unnecessary bureaucracy is central to making sure that Tshwane works for those who inhabit it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the City of Cape Town we have shown how a DA-run government can succeed in creating jobs. 

Cape Town’s expanded unemployment rate is the lowest of any metro at 21.7%, almost 15 percentage points below the national average.

This is the DA difference – and it is your choice to vote for change and bring that difference to Tshwane.

It will take time, but a DA-run City of Tshwane will work every day to bring the necessary change. 

Change that stops corruption.

Change that delivers better services.

Change that creates jobs.

With every resident of Tshwane, together, voting for change, we can make this City great!

We can, and we will!

I thank you.

Issued by Motheo Mtimkulu, Media Manager: Tshwane Mayoral Campaign, 20 May 2016