Young, white, and unwelcome in South Africa

29 October 2018

Solidarity Youth today took a strong stand against Pres. Ramaphosa’s youth empowerment project, YES, which blatantly excludes white youth based on their skin colour. 

According to Paul Maritz, coordinator of Solidarity Youth, this empowerment project is intended to address the enormous problem of youth unemployment – an issue of major importance in South Africa. “However, the problem is that on the YES webpage, it blatantly declares to prospective white applicants that this project will only be open to black, coloured and Indian candidates,” Maritz said. 

“It is as if the President is saying to white candidates: ‘You are unwelcome and on your own!’” Maritz added. 

According to Maritz, these racial measures are the latest in a long list of policies obsessed with race and aimed at degrading white people to second-class citizens simply by virtue of their skin colour. “Exclusion based on race is becoming the norm. It can also be seen in schemes such as Sasol’s Khanyisa employee share ownership plan. We dare not allow racial exclusion to become commonplace and normal; the past has shown us how dangerous that is,” Maritz explained.

This scheme is aimed at helping young South Africans who have been unemployed for longer than six months find a job. They have to create a profile for themselves, making it possible for them get in contact with possible employers. 

“Any young person who wishes to apply for this scheme is already poor and clearly in trouble because they have already been unemployed for half a year. It is an indication of the absurdity of the racial ideology when the government says to a vulnerable group such as young, unemployed people, ‘We do not consider your crisis to be important because your are white,’ Maritz explained. 

Solidarity Youth is drafting a letter to the President asking that this scheme should permit white young people to apply. 

“Despite his smiling reassurance, however, Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa’s message is very clear: You, white youth, you are not welcome in the future of South Africa.”

Issued by Francois Redelinghuys, Spokesperson, Solidarity, 29 October 2018