As South Africa commemorates the 50th anniversary of the June 16 Soweto uprising, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has delivered a blunt message to the country’s struggling youth: the government will not create jobs for them.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Ntshavheni emphasised that the onus of job creation rests on economic growth and entrepreneurial drive rather than state employment.
“There’s no government that’s going to create employment,” Ntshavheni told the broadcaster.
“Government will create opportunities for economic development and economic growth, and the youth must take the mettle into their own hands and make sure that entrepreneurship is a lived experience.”
The Minister’s remarks come at a time when South Africa continues to battle one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. Reflecting on the legacy of the generation of 1976, who fought against the oppressive Bantu Education system, Ntshavheni urged today’s youth to pioneer a new revolution centered on economic independence.
“The youth of 1976 must say 50 years later, we are going to make sure that economic opportunities in South Africa are for South Africans, and they drive the economic development of this country so that we can deal with unemployment,” she said.
Ntshavheni pointed to global examples, such as Germany, noting that sustainable employment is consistently driven by robust small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) rather than the state.
However, the Minister acknowledged that the state needs to be pushed harder to provide the necessary financial backing for young entrepreneurs. She actively encouraged young people to hold the government accountable regarding the adequacy of current funding structures.
“They must challenge us to say, ‘how much are you supporting small businesses? Is the 500 million enough to fund small businesses?’ I will simply say that’s not enough,” Ntshavheni said.
She urged for an environment where small businesses are more actively and aggressively supported to become the country’s primary employers.
As South Africans reflect on five decades since the historic 1976 uprising, the shift in the national discourse from political liberation to economic survival remains front and center for millions of young citizens looking for a way into the economy.
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