The past two years have seen an increase in open discourse regarding the uneven playing field for young black South African students. Campaigns raged across the internet Social Media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, trending hashtags such as ‘Fees Must Fall’ , ‘Education For All’ and the ‘Naked Protest’ . Be it the cost of Tertiary Education or the case of the leering unchallenged monster of Rape Culture the internet has given a new generation of everyday black South Africans the chance to voice their concerns and dispositions. Fast forward to now. South Africa’s economy faces an Unemployment Rate of 26.6% the highest it’s been in 13 years. IN light of what seem to be impossible experience requirements corrupt selection processes South African students have taken to the streets in a silent protest to rouse interest as Pravin Gordhan gets ready to present the South African National Budget.
The ‘Hire A Graduate’ Campaign is a movement on and offline against the high rate of unemployment of South African Graduates. Offline the Campaign began on Wednesday 22 February in Eastern Cape. A Jacaranda FM spoke to the campaign’s chairperson Siphamandla Khasag who said,
“Our main motive is to bring back the dignity of education. High school pupils are no longer motivated to go to University or college because they can see a high number of graduates who are unemployed…we have people here who have achieved so much, honours, masters and even PHD’s and some of them have not been employed and are struggling to get support for their own businesses”
#HireAGraduate we can’t have our brothers and sisters struggle all their lives, struggle to go to school nd then graduate nd then no jobs😢💔
— ⭐Yellow ⭐D££ (@DeeDorothy2) February 22, 2017
You need experience to get a job and you need a job to gain experience!! #HireAGraduate
— _Makab☆ngwe Ntshiba™ (@Nalontshiba) February 22, 2017
We are teeming with new ideas and skills that could make South Africa a better place to be, yet we are not employed #HireAGraduate
— Johnny Mavuso (@johnnymavuso) February 22, 2017
Indeed the ‘Hire A Graduate’ Campaign shifts the problem focus to full circle. If a poor black South African passes their Matric, makes it into University, manages to complete and graduate as one of the 15% to make it, what becomes of their ‘esteemed’ qualification in an unaccommodating Job market ? Time will tell whether this issue will be given the attention it needs by receiving full mention or other wise in Parliament this afternoon.