This might not be the 'perfect' timing to bring up the Fees Must Fall issue; but it has to be said. With an incredible increase in tertiary enrolment and unemployed graduates this is not an issue to be ignored.
How many graduates are unemployed and still owe NSFAS or whatever bursary they were using? How many students are hungry for success but can't go to school because of fees? Where is the right to education playing part in this? Is the youth of South Africa on its own? I definitely think so.
Go to school, they said. We guarantee after graduating there will be a job waiting for you, they said. In South Africa today, the youth are on their own. Companies also need to step up their game, it is unreasonable to expect a graduate fresh out of varsity to have a car and experience. Offering an internship that needs one to two years of experience is ridiculous, who is going to train all the others without experience if these companies all need a graduate with experience.
There are so many graduates that have a drive to succeed, but they are not recognised because of issues such as nepotism, cronyism and favouritism. In some cases it goes as far as skin colour, I have personally seen vacancies that required someone of a certain skin colour.
There are students who are struggling to pay the registration fee, how will they even pay the full amount?
It makes me so happy to see platforms such as Twitter having movements like #JobSeekersSA and #JobSeekersWednesday, little-by-little, this is working, as an example though, let's say only for 5% of the people seeking jobs are helped. What happens to the remaining 95%?
We have the so-called Youth League, but honestly they were only effective in the times of Julius Malema, as of now, they are not active - every man for himself.
Coming back to Fees Must Fall, the complete opposite happened, fees were increased. What does that mean for students who couldn't afford fees even before they were increased? Who is going to pay for their fees? I had no intention to bring this up but the majority of the black population cannot even afford half of the fees due. There are students who are struggling to pay the registration fee, how will they even pay the full amount?
South Africa has so much potential, so many things can be achieved with the help of the youth (who are being slept on). If you can help in any way, do it. Let's help change South Africa, one student and / or graduate at a time.
Unemployment x Fees Must Fall - What's Your Take?