Download PDF“She expressed a big concern about young people in her township. She says she voted to see a difference and hopes that youth can overcome crime and have things to do to beat the problem of unemployment.”
- Community members in Soweto, including Kliptown, Slovo, and Eldorado Park, gathered for a Mass Advice Day by Khanya College.
- Concerns highlighted include youth unemployment, drug abuse, and lack of educational opportunities.
- Nomakhosi Radebe (Kliptown) emphasised youth idleness, substance abuse, and safety risks.
- Phumzile Ntuli (Slovo) noted barriers for migrant youth, including education and legal documentation challenges, and acknowledged local involvement in drug distribution.
- Jaylene Lenton (Eldorado Park) stressed the need for youth development programs, job creation, and recreational activities to prevent crime and unemployment.
- Overall, there’s a strong call for governmental change to address infrastructure deficits, rising inflation, and social issues affecting youth.
More than 250 people made their way to Ext 1 Eldorado Park at PUSH (Persevere Until Something Happens) responding to an invitation by Khanya College. The invitation to community members to come for a Mass Advice Day (MAD) took place on 20 June 2024 from 09.00 AM to 1.00 PM.
Although most of the community members who came for advice on the day were the elderly, there were youthful participants in the event. In separate interviews, Jaylene Lenton, Phumzile Ntuli and Nomakhosi Radebe spoke to Karibu! about the historic vote on 29 May 2024, the conditions of the people of Eldorado Park, Kliptown and Slovo.
The three young women voted hoping for change raising concerns about youth struggles in the three townships of Soweto.
Concerns over Kliptown Youth Prospects
Speaking about the youth in Kliptown, Radebe, a resident there, said in isiZulu, what she most desires to see is youth development.
“In Kliptown there is a lot of youth sitting at the [street] corners, drinking, using drugs, fighting,” said Radebe, a member of the Eldorado Park Women’s Forum (EPWF). She continued, “Children no longer go to school; they bunk [classes]. They have guns, you do not know where a child gets a gun from.”
Challenges and Youth in Slovo
On the same subject, EPWF’s Ntuli who is from Slovo near Eldorado Park said the situation with youth in her township was mostly the same but had some slightly different aspects as many community members were migrants.
“I think because Slovo has a lot of migrants, most of their children do not attend any schools [and] have no birth certificates. They are just stuck,” says Ntuli.
Slovo is ravaged by drug addiction, but this problem extends to even the adults in the community, says Ntuli.
Disagreement about drug attribution
Ntuli thought that Nigerian drug lords were responsible for distributing substances in Slovo but when asked whether they lived in the area she admitted that they did not live there. She then also agreed that community members, including South Africans, helped distribute drugs in Slovo because they sell them even if they buy them from non-residents including Nigerian drug lords.
Thoughts on ‘government of national unity’ and change to expect
“We must change this president”, the Slovo resident said passionately. When asked why, she said that Slovo is a dusty place without tarred roads. She said that the residents still use portable toilets. Children have died by falling into the toilets, according to Ntuli.
She says there has been ever-rising inflation. “Since Ramaphosa, prices are forever rising, the inflation is high. There are no jobs, perhaps that is why some have lost hope and now turning to drug use.”
Eldorado Park resident, Jaylene Lenton who also came to the MAD, is a second-year student at the Bellview Institute where she studies education. She expressed a big concern about young people in her township. She says she voted to see a difference and hopes that youth can overcome crime and have things to do to beat the problem of unemployment.
Radebe told Karibu, “The kids that I am talking about are still in school.” For the future, she hopes for the presence of development and social justice centres to nurture talent in the area.
The young woman who works as an EPWF victim supporter, says that there are children who can sing and dance well, saying special focus should be reserved for the little ones.
“I think it will keep them off the streets, [activities] such as football, to host tournaments for netball… there are a lot of children in Kliptown, if one sees them, one should not be selective, just take all of them,” she directed, saying they are all willing.
Radebe wondered if the ANC-DA pairing would not be beneficial for the people of Kliptown and its surroundings. This thought led to a sharp disagreement with fellow EPWF victim supporter, Ntuli, who said that in her view the incoming government spelt “the end of days.”
This article was submitted on 23 June 2024. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
