SA youth share their challenges and hopes

OPINION POLL

- NADIA KHAN [e-mail]

AHEAD of Youth Day on June 16, young South Africans shared the challenges faced by the youth and their thoughts on how far they believe we have come as a country, 31 years into democracy.

AQEEL MADHI, 27, of uMhlanga, said the challenges faced by the youth were not new.

“Youth unemployment sits at 62.4% compared to the national rate of 32.9%. We are also dealing with gender-based violence (GBV) and what I believe is an under-discussed mental health crisis. Only 5% of our national health budget goes to mental health-care.”

Madhi, a machine learning engineer, said youth were not given opportunities to show what they could do.

“We are capable, energetic and willing. If we are truly the future, then every South African, every institution, and every level of government should be working with us to secure this country’s future, not putting the burden solely on us.”

Madhi said if the issues faced by the youth were not addressed, the consequences would be devastating.

“We will entrench intergenerational poverty transmission. Research consistently shows South Africa has among the world’s lowest social mobility, with poor education quality being a major factor keeping families trapped in cycles of poverty. Failure to address these issues will also further erode our economy and increase crime and mental health problems.

“However, Ubuntu is what I love most about being South African, and it is our solution. Every person, institution, and government level must come together to fix this youth crisis which requires an emergency-level response,” he said.

IRFAAN MANGERA, 28, of Lenasia, said the youth faced an overwhelming set of crises.

“The most urgent being lack of access to quality education and skills training, youth unemployment, mental health challenges, systemic inequality, and political exclusion.