QWAQWA – “We are tired of going up and down with our CVs.” That is the cry of unemployed youth in Maluti-a-Phofung who now say African Content Movement (ACM) president Hlaudi Motsoeneng is their last hope for jobs.
Speaking to _The Guard_ ahead of the November 4 Local Government Elections, young people from Wards 7 and 35 said Motsoeneng’s promise of jobs resonates with them.
“I believe Motsoeneng will create change for the youth and we will have jobs, and young men will stop standing by shop corners every day,” said 28-year old Mamosebetsi Khoarai from Ward 7.
“We have matric certificates and we go up and down sending our CVs, but there are no jobs.”
Tankiso Hure, 44, also from Ward 7, added: “Hlaudi Motsoeneng is going to create jobs. We are going to see change if his party can take over Maluti-a-Phofung.”
For 29-year old Sabatha Hure from Paballong, it is Motsoeneng’s language that appeals to him.
“Ever since joining ACM, I can hear that Motsoeneng says he _will_ do this and that. He doesn’t say, ‘I _promise_ to’. So I believe in him; he’s a man of action,” he said.
19-year old Dikeledi Anita Khumalo from Ward 35, who has completed matric but cannot get into tertiary, said she has lost faith in leaders who promise and disappear.
“Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn’t just make promises. He says he’ll do something and he does,” she said.
Speaking to local media, Motsoeneng defended his SABC record and said the same financial magic will save MAP.
“When the SABC fired me, they caused problems for themselves because I did generate more than R8 billion in revenue,” he said.
“When the SABC was sitting at R4 billion, I doubled that amount. Cash amount, it was R400 million. I put it to R1.4 billion. That’s why today the SABC, they can’t recover. The brain is not there. The brain now is here in QwaQwa.”
According to SABC Annual Reports, revenue was approximately R7.3 billion in 2013/14 with cash of R1.42 billion, and rose to approximately R8.32 billion in 2015/16 – supporting his claim that revenue crossed R8 billion during his tenure.
The embattled municipality currently has a R2.7 billion budget which Motsoeneng has vowed to grow to R4.5 billion.
Whether the youth’s gamble pays off will be decided at the ballot box on November 4.
One Response
Let’s hope Hlaudi will come with positive change. Clean our town. Eradicate those taxis blocking roads. With immediate effect. Water electricity must be a priority and investors will come.
I also think of giving him my vote