Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote - TimesLIVE

The communities of Atteridgeville and Saulsville cast their votes in the local government elections on Wednesday, hoping their preferred candidates will address unemployment and create more job opportunities for young people.

When TimesLIVE visited several voting stations in the area, residents expressed concern about the high levels of youth unemployment, saying many young people remain without opportunities, with some turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.

While some residents said they had lost hope after years of poor service delivery, others remained loyal to their preferred political parties despite seeing little change in their communities. Others continued with their daily activities as voting took place.

The voting stations TimesLIVE visited on Wednesday were generally quiet, with no long queues, as only a few voters trickled in throughout the day to cast their ballots.

At Motsweding school voting station, Naledi Mthimkhulu, 32, expressed joy as she cast her vote for the first time.

“I am so happy. I hope that beyond the ballot there will be change. I pray that the youth can find employment, we are tired of just sitting and not working. This high unemployment is causing high crime,” she said.

Mthimkhulu said just like many in the area, she is unemployed.

“I have been trying to find work since 2015, I have been applying and trying all kinds of courses, we are depressed that we do not work.”

She expressed disappointment at claims that young people were lazy and unwilling to look for work, saying many were doing everything they can to find employment but struggle to secure jobs.

“I have been volunteering, going from pillar to post. Trying to start a business but nothing is happening. No one can just be comfortable staying at home not working. It is just that our government ignores us. They forget about us. Each and every time people vote hoping for change, but there is no change,” she said.

At the same station, Musima Molebale, who is also unemployed, voted for the first time.

The 28-year-old said the statement that “youth are lazy” is heartbreaking as they have been applying for jobs but with no luck.

At the Saulsville hostel voting station, 21-year-old Zimi Shushu expressed relief after casting her vote.

“I woke up at 5am because I wanted to be first in the queue,” she said.

Shushu complained about the dehumanising conditions of having to share dirty mobile toilets with hundreds of people in the hostel.

“It’s dirty and the toilets are dirty, it is painful. It is dehumanising, we get infections. We need flushing toilets,” she said.

Okuhle Manolo, 19, said she was voting but she did not know whether her vote would result in change.

“I am nervous, but at the same time I am happy. We don’t have electricity. We want proper flushing toilets not the mobile toilets they give us. There are no jobs. We cry due to unemployment. Crime is also rife, when you walk you get robbed,” she said.

At Sithole Community Hall voting station in Phomolong informal settlement, west of Pretoria, voters sat on chairs as they waited their turn to cast their ballots.

Outside the voting station, a hair salon continued operating as normal, while some shops selling scrap and secondhand goods also remained open.

Speaking to TimesLIVE after casting her vote, Nolitha Macothoza said she was voting for the third time in her life.

Macothoza, who has a degree in supply chain management, said her qualification has since been withheld by an institution of higher learning as she owes R9,000.

“It is not easy to find a job using matric while your certificate is with the institution. If you have no connections, you will go nowhere,” she said.

A Phomolong resident who asked not to be identified said she was voting in the hope that more employment opportunities would be created for young people in the community.

A security officer who was on a 7am to 7pm shift said he had rushed back from work to vote. However, he was not enthusiastic about the elections.

“We have been voting for 35 years with no change,” he said.

Most people who came in the last few hours to vote said they could not brave the heat during the day and decided to wait to cast their votes. Some women arrived with their children.

Ntshembo Maswanganyi, who arrived around 6pm to cast her vote, said she had just knocked off.

“I had to go to work, but because it’s election day, they let us go early,” she said.

The 28-year-old said her only concern was water outages.