MINISTER HAS DISMALLY FAILED TO PRIORITISE UNEMPLOYED SA LECTURERS- MSEZANE

Unemployed qualified TVET lecturers picket at the department of higher education and training photos by Dimakatso Modipa

Umkhonto we Sizwe Party member Mqobe Msezane has decried Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela for dismally failing qualified South African TVET lecturers in preference of foreign ones.

“The Department of Higher Education is prioritisng foreign lecturers over qualified, unemployed South African lecturers regarding a skill that is not scarce and can be performed by South Africans,” said Msezana.

Msezana was speaking to Tshwane Talks at a protest march in Tshwane staged by aggrieved, unemployed South African-born lecturers on Thursday.

“My message is clear: the Minister (Manamela) has failed young people of this country; their qualifications have been gathering dust and it is unfortunate that they must demonstrate before they can get employed for something they have qualifications for,” he said.

He emphasised that the number of protesting unemployed lecturers on Thursday was actually the proverbial drop in the ocean of the total number of unemployed yet qualified TVET lecturers.

“I do not see the reason why the Minister of Higher Education is still in office because these things are legislated and it’s not as if the Minister must use his feelings before taking a decision on the plight of the unemployed lecturers; he must just enforce the existing legislations that given this country; namely that priority must first be given to South Africans when coming to jobs which fall under the category of skills which are not scarce,” lamented Msezane.

He pointed out that as a member of the Parliamentary portfolio committee for Higher Education, it is his job to hold Minister Manamela accountable.

Unemployed TVET college lecturer Ofentse Mgidi from Soshanguve told Tshwane Talks that he was one of the unemployed lecturers who are frustrated by their own qualifications as they are not considered or taken seriously by the Department of Higher Education because foreigners who do not have the qualifications that we possess have been employed while leaving us out as South African lecturers.

He said even though they are unemployed they are compelled to pay up an amount of R198 so as to be kept in the database of lecturers; failing which they would be kicked out and never be considered for employment.

“We are suffering, we are hungry, we need employment and there is favouritism regarding the hiring of TVET college lecturers and we have been engaging the Department of Higher Education for over six months now and we are here today at the Department of Higher Education offices to get an answer as to what the solution is regarding our plight,” enthused Mgidi.

“We are going to camp outside the offices of the department until our demands are met,” vowed Mgidi.

“The law makes it clear that foreigners must be employed on a contract basis only if they have scarce skills and that they must transfer the said skills to South Africans and thereafter they must vacate their positions,” he said.

“Some of us are stuck with student loans from banks and our unemployed parents used their last monies to take us to university yet we are sitting at home and not using our qualifications,” he said.

“This situation can lead to depression because recently I have been in and out of hospital because of being unemployed and it is two years full now since I have been unemployed,” said Mgidi as she pointed out that she studied at Tshwane University of Technology for in order to become a TVET colleague lecturer,” he said.