Ramaphosa Ahead of Youth Day: Government's 'Foremost Priority' Is Youth Unemployment
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has shared that youth unemplyment is his government's "foremost priority"
- In his newsletter ahead of Youth Day, the Mzansi president said youth unemployment has increased drastically amid the Covid-19 pandemic
- According to Stats SA, the the official unemployment rate among the youth was 46.3% in the first quarter of 2021
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed that youth unemployment has worsened under the Covid-19 pandemic. In his weekly newsletter ahead of Youth Day on 16 June, the president promised that creating more opportunities for young people and supporting them to access opportunities is government's "foremost priority".
Ramaphosa wrote that the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which was launched a few weeks before the country went into lockdown, has now entered full implementation.
Source: Instagram
News24 reports that according to Stats SA, the official unemployment rate among the youth, aged between 15 to 34, was 46.3% in the first quarter of the year. The unemployment rate stood at 9.3% among university graduates.
Business Tech reports that the president also shared that government has also introduced other interventions to curb youth unemployment. Government has established a National Pathway Management Network and SA Youth to make it easier for young people to access opportunities.
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Ramaphosa accused of treating Mkhize with 'kid gloves'
In other news, Briefly News reported that EFF leader Julius Malema has shared his views on President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to place embattled Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on special leave following the R150 million Digital Vibes scandal.
The politician believes that Cyril Ramaphosa is treating Mkhize gently because "he belongs to the Ramaphosa cabal".
Mkhize allegedly benefited from the contract awarded to his close associates who worked on his 2017 presidential campaign. Mkhize has reportedly said that he is prepared to repay the money he unduly received in the Digital Vibes scandal.
Malema also accused Ramaphosa’s administration of being selective when dealing with corrupt government officials. Malema was speaking at his party's press conference in Braamfontein in Johannesburg on Thursday, 10 June.
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Source: Briefly News
