RISE MZANSI MARCHES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AGAINST AGEISM

Rise Mzansi marched to the Department of Labour and Employment in Tshwane this morning (Tuesday) to demand an end to the practice of ageism as presently applied by employers and the government when considering people for employment.

Rise Mzansi is of the opinion that many people who are over the age of 35 years are overlooked for job opportunities as preference is usually given to those who are under 35 years of age.

Leading the crowd of hundreds of his supporters to the Department of Labour and Employment, the party’s chief national organiser Makashule Gana told Tshwane Talks that they are marching as a way of calling upon the government to scrap the age limit for job opportunities in the country.

“We believe that South Africans who were born before 1989 also deserve job opportunities as it is not their fault that their parents gave birth to them in 1988, 1987 or 1982,” fumed Gana.

“When the government advertises jobs, they must not say 18 to 35, but must say South Africans must apply for jobs,” said Gana.

“This is an issue which many South Africans have raised as they are still able to work even though they are over 35,” he said.

29-year-old Tshepiso Mengwai from Mamelodi told Tshwane Talks that though he is within the age limit, he has been struggling to get employed.

Mengwai, who is a qualified horticulturalist, bemoaned the fact that jobs are given to friends and families of these who are in charge of hiring the work force at various companies and institutions.

Promise Gasago, also from Mamelodi bemoaned the fact that though he is 43 years old he has been rejected for job opportunities because he has been told that he is old.

“If the government says we are old then they must give us pensions so that we can feed our families,” he said.

Gasago explained that he has experience in construction work, but he has failed to get employment due to age restrictions which give preference to those who are 35 years old and younger.

Onica Sibiya (38) from Atteridgeville told Tshwane Talks that though she has a teacher’s degree she has struggled to be hired for a job.

“I am here to support the demand for the scrapping of age limits as my brothers and sisters who are also in their thirties can’t find employment because of this preference for those who are under 35 years of age,” she said.

“I have been unemployed for 11 years now and I feel the pain of people who are unemployed, and I support the idea that unemployment must fall,” said Sibiya.

Rise Mzansi’s Premier candidate Vuyiswa Ramokgopa mocked the department as an institution that creates unemployment instead of creating jobs.

“I want to correct Gana’s statement that we are standing in front of the department of employment because this is actually a department of unemployment as it has presided over the unemployment of our people,” she said.

“This government is of the opinion that after the age of 35 people must fend for themselves without being provided with jobs as it doesn’t care,” she said.

“There are young men who can’t afford to get married as they don’t have money to pay lobolo and this is a violation of their dignity,” said Ramokgopa.

“Let age restrictions start in Parliament where one finds old people who are over 35 occupying positions there,” she said.

“All parties who are in Parliament have blood on their hands as they have created the indignity and shame of our people who are not able to feed themselves due to unemployment,” she said.

Party leader Songezo Zibi told his supporters that the rate of unemployment is worse than it was in 2006 and that South Africa has 60% of its youth being unemployed.

“We are here on behalf of 2,9 million people who are unemployed and who the government pretends they don’t exist,” he said.

“Going into this election, the IEC has used over R200 million which was shared among three parties namely ANC, DA and EFF, thus indicating that parties are not treated equally,” said Zibi.

Chief Director of the Department of Labour and Employment Thembinkosi Mkilipi received Rise Mzansi’s memorandum and promised to respond as soon as his department has gone through it.