A group of youngsters in Extension 9 have proposed a solution to their joblessness, and the plight of the township's elderly. All they want now is for the municipality to support their cause by giving them land and the use of the local hall.
Indlovukazi Ngumbela reports
A group of youngsters in Extension 9 have proposed a solution to their joblessness, and the plight of the township's elderly. All they want now is for the municipality to support their cause by giving them land and the use of the local hall.
Indlovukazi Ngumbela reports
Xolisani Mpiyane was in Grade 11 when his aunt, who had been paying his school fees, suddenly died. He was forced to drop out of school.
Mpiyane has now finished his studies, but is still without a permanent job. Along with three of his "business associates", he does occasional carpentry jobs. But it's not every day that someone in the townships wants a cupboard installed – which means Xolisani is without work most of the time.
He is not the only one sitting in the township with a qualification; there are plenty of other young men like him and they've decided to ask Makana Municipality to give them a piece of land to grow vegetables that they can sell in the community, and in towns.
Mpiyane says they made the suggestion at the mayoral imbizo in their area. Officials had said they would look into it, but there had been no progress since then.
The youths' other idea is to run a feeding scheme from the Extension 9 hall. The hall still has no name – some residents have suggested it should be named after the people who canvassed for the RDP houses to be built. "There are elderly women who are not fit enough to work and don’t qualify for pension funds,” said Mpiyane, explaining the need for a feeding scheme. He then explained how it would be funded.
“There are people in the townships who own RDP houses but who are renting the houses out to foreigners. They, in turn, convert them to spaza shops.
"I’m not saying the houses should be taken away from the people. All I’m asking for is that the municipality implement a law that will force spaza shop and tavern owners to pay R150 a month towards the feeding scheme."
Mpiyane emphasises that they're not asking the municipality for money – only that they be allowed to use the hall for the feeding scheme, and the surrounding land for the vegetable garden, and that the municipality introduce the monthly fee for local businesspeople.
"We can always vacate the hall when it's needed,” said Mpiyane.
“Being unemployed can kill your morals," Mpiyane said. "You get to a point when you need some form of escapism. That's why you find young men involved in drugs. To finance that lifestyle they need money – which they don’t have – and therefore they start mugging people and sell stolen goods.
“We don’t commit crimes intentionally, it is desperation that drives us to do so. I know this because I’ve been there,” said Mpiyane. “Help us get the message out there. All we need is the municipality to help us implement it.”
