Londiwe Buthelezi
16 June 2026
Njengoba izwe lilungiselela ukugubha uSuku Lwentsha (Youth Day) mhlaka 16 Juni, isimo sezomnotho sezibalo zakamuva zika-2026 siphula izinhiziyo zabaningi, sishiya intsha yaseNingizimu Afrika ibhekene nengcindezi engakaze ibonakale yezempilo yengqondo. Lolu bishi olubizwa ngethemba elidatshulwe phakathi luphakamisa imibuzo emikhulu: Ngabe intsha yanamuhla isiphenduke “Isizukulwane Esilahlekile” (The Lost Generation) yini ngenxa yokusweleka kwemisebenzi?
Ngokusho kwemibiko yakamuva ye-Quarterly Labour Force Survey ekhishwe yi-Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) kwi-kota yokuqala yonyaka ka-2026, izinga lokusweleka kwemisebenzi ezweni likhule lafinyelela ku-32.7%. Nokho, isisindo sithwelwe yintsha eneminyaka phakathi kwe-15 ne-24, lapho isilinganiso sokusweleka kwemisebenzi sifinyelele emaphesenti athusayo angama-60.9%, kanti labo abaphakathi kweminyaka engama-25 nama-34 bona bame ku-40.6%.
Kuleli qophelo lonyaka ka-2026, intsha ewu-4.7 million eNingizimu Afrika ayizange ithole amathuba okusebenza, isimo odokotela bezenqondo abathi sidala ukukhwantalala (clinical depression), ukulahlekelwa isithunzi, kanye nokwanda kwemicabango yokuzibulala.
Ukuhlala ekhaya ungenzi lutho ube uneziqu zasenyuvesi noma u-Matric akugcini nje ngokusho ukushoda kwemali ephaketheni; kuwukuhlukunyezwa okubuhlungu komqondo osemncane obulindelwe ukuba ube namaphupho nendlela elula yokuziphilisa.
“Uma intsha ishiywa ngaphandle komnotho isikhathi eside, baqala ukulahlekelwa ubunjalo babo nesithunzi njengabantu,” kusho uDkt. Sibongile Nkosi, isazi sezempilo yengqondo emtholampilo ozimele eGauteng. “Ukuphila usuku nosuku uthunyelwa imiyalezo ethi ‘isicelo sakho asiphumelelanga’ kudala lokho esikubiza nge-learned helplessness – isimo lapho umqondo uyeka ukuzama ngoba ubona sengathi akukho okulungile okuzokwenzeka. Lokhu sikubona kakhulu kulo nyaka ka-2026, lapho isibalo sabantu abasha asebelahlile ithemba lokufuna umsebenzi (discouraged work-seekers) sikhuphuke kakhulu.”
Lolu bishi lungena ngqo emlandweni woSuku Lwentsha. Ngesikhathi intsha yango-1976 ilwela imfundo engcono nenkululeko, intsha yango-2026 izithola ilwa nempi ehlukile kodwa eyingozi efanayo: impi yokungaboni kusasa eliqhakazile ngenxa yezomnotho oshayekile.
Unyaka ka-2026 umiswe ngaphansi komkhankaso wokuthi “The Year of Putting Young South Africans to Work” ngenhloso yokuhlonipha amagalelo abafundi baseSoweto, kodwa emgwaqeni izinto azikho lula.
“U-16 Juni kumele ungasetshenziselwa nje ukugubha umlando kuphela, kodwa kumele ube isikhathi sokubheka iqiniso elibuhlungu elibhekene nentsha yethu yamanje,” kusho uLwazi Mthembu (25) waseThembisa, onesicelo somsebenzi oseneziqu ze-BCom kodwa osehlale ekhaya iminyaka emibili. “Intsha yango-1976 yayazi ukuthi ilwelani, futhi inalo ithemba lokuthi izinto zizoshintsha. Thina namuhla sikhungethwe yimicabango emibi; uvuka ekuseni ungenzi lutho, ubone abazali bakho bebhekile kuwe ukuthi uzoletha ushintsho kodwa wehluleke. Lo mthwalo usubulala imiqondo yethu.”
Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi ukuxazulula le nkinga kudinga ukuba izinhlelo zezempilo yengqondo zifakwe ngqo ezinhlelweni zikahulumeni zokufunela intsha imisebenzi efana ne-NYDA (National Youth Development Agency) kanye nemikhankaso emisha evezwe yi-Department of Employment and Labour kulo nyaka.
Odokotela bakhuthaza ukuba kwakhiwe imitholampilo yezengqondo yamahhala emalokishini nasezindaweni zasemakhaya lapho intsha ingathola khona izindlela zokubhekana nale ngcindezi, ingabhemi izidakamizwa (ezifana ne-nyaope) notshwala njengendlela yokubalekela ubuhlungu bomqondo.
Uma ungakahleleki kahle emqondweni noma unemicabango emibi ngenxa yale nkinga yokusweleka kwemisebenzi, uyakhuthazwa ukuba uthintane nabasizi bezengqondo kwa-SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) ku-0800 567 567 noma ushaye ulayini wezinkinga zentsha ku-0800 456 789.
