Youth positive GNU will deliver

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to address unemployment and fight crime has given a sense of hope for a better future to dozens of youths who stood under the hot sun watching the president take his oath at the Union Buildings yesterday.

Speaking to Sowetan at the venue, Siyanda Ngcai, 25, said one of the ways Ramaphosa could effectively fight crime was by properly managing the borders.

“He needs more security at the borders to ensure that undocumented immigrants don’t come to this country because some of these people are behind crime. We need to ensure that they don’t come near us. On the Government of National Unity, I am happy because they will make sound decisions and debate decisions and policies unlike having one party controlling everything,” Ngcai said.

In his speech, Ramaphosa said South Africans had made it clear that they wanted a government that would care for them. “The people of South Africa have asked no more than to be properly cared for when they are sick, they want the young to be taught well, for the elderly to be cared for, and for those without work to work.

“The people of South Africa have spoken about the land they want to farm, about the businesses they want to run, about the things and products they want to make, about the skills they want to learn,” said Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile, Bonang Jeanette Makgae, 22, who is studying for a degree in public administration and foreign affairs, said she was feeling hopeful that the new government was taking youth unemployment seriously. 

“What stood out for me is that the president after taking an oath of office promised to create jobs, and this is a relief because you can’t be studying hard and at the end you don’t get a job,” she said.

She said she hoped the president also improved infrastructure in rural areas.

“We always view opposition [parties] as our enemy but now the ANC has to share power; GNU is a reality and we have to accept it. I hope more parties can join it and I hope the president and GNU partners build more infrastructure that will benefit people and improve schools infrastructure, especially in rural areas,” Makgae said.

Tsholofelo Maseko, 28, also a student, said: “I was pleased to hear the president speaking about job creation because if more people work, lives will be improved and it will also reduce crime.”