ACCORDING to the February 2023 findings by Statistics South Africa, the Eastern Cape had the highest official unemployment rate in the fourth quarter, followed by North West and Mpumalanga. This remains a pressing matter in the Bay as well, especially the unemployment rate among the youth.
The Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council reported that the Eastern Cape youth unemployment rate (aged 15 to 34) had increased from 51.4 percent to 52.4; the majority of unemployed persons are females, sitting at 40.5 percent, compared to males, which were recorded at 39.0 percent.
With this dire situation in mind, the NMBM’s Constituency Services recently wrapped up a Labour Career Fair Activation in various locations in the Gqeberha. Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) queries were attended to on-site, CVs were collected, and processes for Injury on Duty (IOD) incidents were explained.
This initiative was in collaboration with the Department of Labour.
“It’s hosted by the Department of Labour; we are just a host and a supporting municipality,” said NMB’s Mthubanzi Mniki.
“If we come together, from national, provincial, district and municipality levels, we can achieve more as a collective in providing services to our people,” said the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thembelani Waltermade Nxesi, in his address at the Youth Career’s Fair and Service Delivery earlier this year.
“I want to encourage all work-seekers to grab every available job opportunity and the career information that you are going to receive from the various stalls, and use it as a stepping stone to your desired jobs in this constrained jobs environment.”
Nxesi also warned job-seekers to be alert, and not fall prey to people and entities that might take advantage of their desperation.
“Our labour laws forbid private employment agencies and temporary employment service organisations from charging you, as work-seekers, any fees for assisting to find employment. Please stop giving these organisations and mafias your parents’ hard-earned cash to buy employment.
“For the common interest of everyone, report unscrupulous agencies that charge you fees, to labour inspectors and the police. The law prescribes that these services are free of charge and you must not pay a cent to anyone. Be aware of the scams that are now operating on social media. Stay away from anything that promises you a job on condition that you pay a certain fee. If it is too good to be true, you are going to lose your money,” he stressed.
He further said that the Department of Employment and Labour’ (DEL) systems, and partners in the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative such as the Youth Mobi, the Higher Education KHETHA, and those of Private Employment Agencies registered with the DEL, are digital and can be accessed remotely from anywhere, in line with trends in other countries.
“The mobile units that we secured with the assistance of the European Union that are outside this tent are an example of technology as it progresses. They incorporate laptops that are used by our counsellors and employment practitioners for on-site counselling and life-skills’ advice. We have all our systems available online, but we know that data costs remain too high and we are trying to find the best solution to that. We have introduced these vehicles, to reach out to remote rural and urban communities that find it difficult to access our Employment and Labour Centres, and these mobile units are equipped to provide all DEL online services,” Nxesi concluded.
