On Wednesday 28 August 2024, Braamfontein was a buzz as young people from Soweto marched to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero’s office, delivering their CVs to highlight their ongoing struggle with unemployment.
The protest was sparked by Morero’s recent suggestion to hire foreign nationals as traffic officers in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), which the residents saw as evidence of job vacancies.
Three buses filled with Soweto residents arrived in Johannesburg for the march. The march was led by Thabang Moloi, a local leader who spoke to Loxion Express, he explained that this was a peaceful march aimed at helping the youth and the unemployed. “We wanted to introduce ourselves to the mayor and remind him that the youth remain unemployed and in need of job opportunities.”
Morero’s comments about hiring foreigners to address language barriers in law enforcement stirred controversy after a video of his remarks went viral on social media. The suggestion drew sharp criticism, with ActionSA calling it an “insult” to the thousands of unemployed Sowetans, especially those who have long aspired to serve in law enforcement. ActionSA’s interim chairperson, Michael Beaumont, vowed to use the party’s influence in the Johannesburg council to block any such proposal.
READ THE MEDIA STATEMENT BELOW.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng also weighed in on the comments by the Mayor, they are opposing the proposal to hire foreign nationals for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, citing the province’s high unemployment rate and the availability of qualified local candidates.
In response to the backlash, Morero apologized, stating that he intended to spark a debate.
In a video shared on TikTok, leaders invited youth living in Soweto and surrounding areas to join a march to the mayor’s office.
They argue that if Morero has plans to hire foreigners, it means there are vacancies in the JMPD for unemployed youth.
The memorandum and their CV’s were received by the Chief of Staff, who promised that the office would respond within the stipulated time of 14 days as requested by the marchers.
According to Stats SA the City of Joburg is sitting at number 6, (25%) in terms of unemployment when compared with other Municipalities in the country.
However, dissatisfaction continued to grow, leading to the creation of an online petition to remove him from office, at the time of writing, it was sitting at 14 300 signatures supporting the mayor’s removal.
Thabang Moloi emphasized that the government’s habit of overlooking its people needed to end and called on the community to join the protest to demand JMPD jobs.
This protest followed a series of strikes across Soweto, where many, especially the youth, have marched to demand employment. The ongoing struggle with unemployment has left many young people feeling neglected by politicians who they believe do not understand the challenges faced by the people of Soweto.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
Read Action SA statement below.
