The Basic Education Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus Program Will Leave Hundreds Of Youth Jobless When It Ends

By Lithakazi Mhaga

It’s been a year, plus, since the corona virus hit our shores and while the Basic Education  Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus Program is reported to have been a success, the end of the program will leave hundreds jobless once again.

Hundreds of youth flocked to the Trinset College of Education in Mthatha on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 to extend their contracts for one final month in the program, amid the struggle to comply to COVID regulations.

“It’s really bad that the program is ending,” said Sinovuyo Mbumbulu, a 27-year-old qualified Educator who is employed while standing in one of the long queues waiting to sign off on her final pay.

“Here we are, finally in the workplace and even with the need for educators, I will be jobless come month end. It’s hard enough to provide for my family with the current stipend we’re given, how much harder (will it be) when I’m unemployed?” asked a distraught Mbumbulu.

Amid these growing worries of impending unemployment status, it was clear that the delay of Basic Education was not ready for the number of people who were present for contract renewals.

“It’s so hot out, there’s no social distancing, no sanitisers, no water… It seems we are here to make sure get our final paycheck and corona”, said 22-year-old Masibulele Lawana, working as a general assistant at a local primary school.

“There’s really no need to have us all here like this, and it seems there’s no clear system of determining who’s who and if they are real or not. Our lives are in danger,” Lawana further stated.

The queues at Trinset were exceptionally long and congested with people, so much so, “that the officials capturing data are unable to sufficiently service everyone,” Lawana confirmed.

Just moments after speaking to Lawana, a brawl broke out, where people clashed over whose turn it was to be serviced, leaving few minor injuries from the chaos.

The program currently  providers work for more than 319 091 youth, whose contracts end April 30, 2021, and they’re all  begging the question, “what now?”