Pule waga Mabe
Gospel star Rebecca Malope is more popular among South Africa’s youth than President Thabo Mbeki. The Youth 2000 report released this week by the Community Agency for Social Inquiry (Case) revealed that only 4% of South African youth named Mbeki as their role model, compared to the more than 8% who named Malope. Topping the list is former president Nelson Mandela, who is the favourite among all races. Other personalities who made it to the top 10 list are musician Brenda Fassie, axed cricket captain Hansie Cronje and Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe.
Case was commissioned by the Royal Netherlands embassy to provide an up-to-date picture of South African youth, their living conditions, economic opportunities, attitudes and expectations. There is a high level of consensus among the youth that young people of different races will never trust each other, although women were more optimistic than men. Most black South African youth are xenophobic, believing that foreigners are responsible for unemployment. About 62% of economically active South African youth are unemployed. Only 21% of black youth completed their matric, with just 6% entering tertiary institutions annually. Among whites, 29% matriculated and 32% obtained tertiary qualifications. A lack of money and early pregnancy are the most common reasons advanced by respondents to the Case survey for failing to complete their schooling. Speaking at the report’s launch, the president of the Human Sciences Research Council, Dr Mark Orkin, said despite the assumption that most black youth in the country have been marginalised, they have played a meaningful role in the struggle for liberation in the country. “It was the youth of this country in 1976 who took to the streets to demand political reform.”
The Case survey showed that about 54% of South African youth do not belong to any organisation. Only 6% of South African youth are members of a political organisation.
Chair of the National Youth Commission Jabu Mabulala said the commission is doing its best to help the youth in economic participation and career guidance. He said there are three pilot projects running in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and the Northern Province. The Case survey involved interviews with 2 500 young people and 20 focus groups.