DA leader John Steenhuisen has described the high youth unemployment in the country as a “theft of potential”.
The DA leader was addressing the June 16 Youth Day on Monday in Mahushu, outside Hazyview, in Mpumalanga.
“We remember the courage of the 1976 generation who stood up against injustice and demanded the right to equal education. They refused to be told that their future would be dictated by an unjust government. And yet, almost half a century later, one injustice has been replaced with another. Not in the classroom, but in the unemployment queue.
“This is the real crisis of our time — a betrayal of the promise of freedom. Youth unemployment in South Africa today is the highest in the world. Over 8.7 million young people are not in employment, education, or training. That’s not just a statistic — it’s a national tragedy. It is a violation of dignity, a theft of potential, and a failure of justice,” said the DA leader.
He stated that in South Africa, one doesn’t have to go far to meet a young South African who has been affected by the lack of employment opportunities. These are skilled young people who have completed their matric. In many instances, higher education is completed. They are trained for the 4th Industrial Revolution, but they are still unemployed.
“They apply for dozens of jobs every month — but hear nothing back. They don’t have “connections.” They don’t have experience, nor a chance to gain it. And they are losing hope. That is the story of millions of young people in this country. They don’t want favours. They don’t want slogans. They want a country where working hard means getting ahead.
He said the DA is making a difference to the lives and livelihoods of all South Africans, but more needs to be done.
He pointed to the progress in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands’ uMngeni Municipality, saying that under DA Mayor Chris Pappas, monthly graduate dialogues connect unemployed youth to municipal internships.
“uMngeni’s clean audit has attracted new investment — which means jobs. In each of these DA-run places, governance isn’t just a word; it’s the difference between being stuck and getting a chance,” he said.
THE MERCURY
