Unemployed graduates in ‘flash mob’ protests

Hundreds of unemployed graduates around the Eastern Cape took part in a #HireAGraduate campaign yesterday.

Clad in graduation regalia, graduates with qualifications ranging from teaching diplomas and degrees to doctorates, staged “flash mobs” at 19 points in different cities around the province.

They stood at the sides of roads holding placards with messages such as: “I'm ready to be interviewed” and “Hire me, I am qualified”.

This drew the attention of motorists, who hooted, while those on foot took pictures and videos.

In East London the flash mob was staged in Oxford Street in front of the city hall. East London coordinator Yonela Tafeni said they hoped this would draw the attention of the government and private sector to the sad reality of unemployed graduates.

“We want those in government and the private sector to recognise us and remind them of this problem,” said Tafeni, who has an honours degree in social science from the University of Fort Hare.

Qhama Nhlalatu said what they had experienced was very painful. “The government offers a one-year internship but when they advertise posts they want five years’ experience.

“Where are we supposed to get five years’ experience when they only offered you one year of training?” said Nhlalatu, from Mdantsane.

Abongile Tyobeka said her father had sacrificed everything for her education, hoping she would one day become the bread- winner in the family.

“He took an early package from his work so that he could get his pension to pay my fees. Now we are both sitting at home unemployed,” said Tyobeka, who got her management diploma and B Tech in business administration from Walter Sisulu University.

“I use to work at a courier company as a receptionist. My colleagues who were less qualified than me were employed in higher positions. I was the joke of the company as I only went home with R3500 a month while my underqualified colleagues were receiving more decent salaries than mine,” she said.

Tyobeka said she left her job when she was offered a one-year government internship, hoping after completing it she would be employed permanently.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t absorbed and I went back to being unemployed.”

Another unemployed graduate who lives in Tsholomnqa said the pain cut even deeper for her.

“I witnessed my late mother, who was a qualified teacher, struggle to get a job. My late grandmother made many sacrifices to ensure I was educated and now I can’t get a job.

“It is sad that I cannot put food on the table after the sacrifices my family made. I just need a job, even if it is a cleaning job.”

Sibulele Mdleleni, 23, a qualified teacher, said not being able to get a teaching job was “confusing” as the department of education always had problems with teacher shortages.

“The department is in need of teachers, we are here but they are not employing us,” she said.

Mdleleni, who obtained her teaching qualifications at UFH, accused the department of education of giving preference to teachers who obtained their qualifications through the Fundza Lushaka bursary, which is a departmental bursary programme.

Similar demonstrations were held in towns such as Alice, Cradock, Dutywa, Butterworth, Engcobo and Grahamstown.

Chairwoman of the movement, Siphamandla Kashe, said the campaign #HireAGraduate was launched on February 15 and already had more than 2000 members. They were now planning to take the campaign to premier Phumulo Masualle by staging a peaceful march to his office.