The Eye of the Storm

They say that lightning never strikes in the same place twice.  But chances are good that New Orleans will get hit again with a major storm some day.  Hopefully by then it will be better prepared for disaster?

I have been reflecting on Yogi Berra’s famous phrase “déjà vu all over again”.

2003 Epicentre of the AIDS Pandemic

As the tide of this crisis rose, a Canadian called Stephen Lewis was appointed Special Advisor to the U.N. Secretary General (at the time Kofi Annan).  He published a book called Race Against Time which was actually a series of Massey lectures given at University of Toronto.  At the time, South Africa and Swaziland were at the epicenter of the pandemic.

For reasons that were unacceptable, the South African government of that time was not pouring enough resources into this crisis.  Anti-retrovirals were not being rolled out fast enough.  Instead, government was promoting beet root!  Government was trying to sequester all international AIDS resources for itself, to the exclusion of “non-state actors”.  When people like Stephen Lewis tried to talk sense to the Health Minister, xenophobia kicked in and he was ignored.  Years later, research done by Harvard University concluded that about 350,000 lives were lost that did not need to perish.  Government policy was detrimental. 

2013 Highest Unemployment Rate on Earth

CNN ran a piece recently on unemployment.  It listed the rates in various countries.  Conspicuously at the top of the list was South Africa.  From other sources, I have read that among the 9 provinces in SA, Mpumalanga’s rate is the highest.  So here we go again…

I have said before that the Mpumalanga rates today are worse than what the unemployment rates were in the USA and Canada during the worst year of the Great Depression.  The statistics are scary.  Aristotle said that inequity is the mother of revolution.

Government is not pouring enough resources into this crisis.

One cannot only blame government policy, as there are diverse causes.  But its policies in this respect are detrimental.  In particular it still thinks in terms of trying to increase the number of “formal sector jobs” and does not take self-employment namely the Informal Sector seriously enough.  Worse yet, it is as arrogant about this as it was about its views on ARVs.

Yesterday it was announced that the number of jobs in South Africa decreased in the second quarter - by 25 000.  Over half of these – 13 000 – were in the “community and social sector”.  So the people and organizations (like C4L) who are supposed to serve as the “safety net” are shrinking too!  This is because they are being starved of resources again – as they were during the AIDS crisis.

It was also announced yesterday that the average earnings for people who have jobs has increased during the same period  Imagine the resentment that this can cause among those losing their jobs or worse yet those who have never been able to find one.  Youth, to be exact.  Because 75% of the ranks of the unemployed in SA are under 35 – the local age benchmark for youth.

Unions exist to protect their members.  Let’s be honest, they have been doing a pretty good job protecting the interests of the employed.  COSATU is, after all, part of the “tripartite alliance” that rules SA.  For example, the unions blocked government’s attempt 3 years ago to introduce a youth wage subsidy.  Government wanted to subsidize work places that would employ youth.  The unions said this would create a two-tier effect and blocked it.

So the ANC congress late last year decided to introduce a Youth Grant instead.  They must see the “tsunami of youth” coming.  (Not to mention an election.) But this has bogged down, largely on the question of affordability.  The hard facts are that there are already 15 million citizens on some kind of direct government aid.  While there are only 12 million citizens working - paying income tax.  So adding another burden raises a lot of concerns.

Two other policies are bleeding the economy.  Affirmative action is one.  The other is what C4L has dubbed “The Impunity Gap”.  That is, the long stretch of time that passes between someone being caught in the act of fraud or corruption, and them being convicted.  Through the intervening months - or years – they just stay put.  They keep looting!  Their colleagues say, “Oh, let law enforcement take care of that, our job is service delivery.”  In other words, they leave the rotten apple in the bushel.

A-blowin my mind

In 2003 I wrote a parody of Dylan’s famous song - on the left.  Today I wrote a new version:

A-groanin in the wind

A-blowin my mind

How many times can a leader look up Before she sees the sky? How many deaths will it take 'til she knows That too many people have died? How many eyes must she have 'til she sees The truth that her cabinet hides? How many times can a man turn his head And pretend that he just doesn't see? How many tests will it take 'til he knows That you have to escape to be free? How many years can the nation exist Before it is brought to its knees? How many roads must a child walk down Before they call him a man? How many years can an orphan survive Before someone gives him a hand? How many nights can the siblings endure Before life is forever grand? The answer, my friend,  is groanin' in the wind The answer is a-groanin' in the wind

How many years can our leaders look up Before they see the sky? How many jobs will be lost in this land Where too many people have died? How many eyes must they have 'til they see That youth votes will soon turn the tide? How many years must a boy study hard Before he can get a good job? How many meals must his children miss out Before he will go out to rob? How many years can this crisis go on Before we are ruled by a mob? How many jobs will be lost by the way Before they wake up to our call? How many workers will work a half shift To see there is work for us all? How many un-employed youth must we have Before they make government fall? The answer, my friend,  is a-blowin my mind The answer is a-blowin my mind

A Letter from Youth

I was 8 years old when my father died in 2003.  My Mum dies 2 years later.  I miss them.  I grew up as a Child Head of Household with my young brothers and sisters.  My aunts and uncles helped us out.  The Social Worker, my school and my church have all been good to me.  Our neighbours have been kind.  I finished matric this year.  I am 18.

But there are no jobs.  I have one chance in a hundred of finding a job within a year of graduating.  Career counselors tell me that the longer I am unemployed, the harder it gets to find work.  I don’t want to steal.  My cousin is working hard, driving a taxi.  But he doesn’t have a drivers license.  Here are my options:

• Sit a home like a couch potato and watch endless soapies on TV

• Live on the accumulated child grants.  Mine will soon be running out

• Spend months job hunting when the news says the number of jobs is decreasing and the unions are fighting hard for the rights of their members

• Borrow money from government to further my studies

• Start my own enterprise to support myself

A hand up not a hand out

One recent innovation at C4L is a Solar Biltong Drier.  The prototype is working well, not just for meat but for fruits and veggies too.

Through its Green Coops at community level, these will be introduced.  They need no electricity.  They can add value either to youth who are growing plants or animals to sell.  Or youth can buy meat and process it in this way.

Biltong is popular in all the cultures of South Africa.  Some would call it a national pastime!  Maybe even good citizenship!  It can be made with solar power, as one of the bottlenecks to growing the Economy is the shortage of electricity.

Help C4L to help unemployed youth

Find out how on www.C4L.org