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IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
The state of freedom of speech in South Africa: A critical analysis
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale). Image: Supplied The recent commentary and opinions expressed by South Africans have led many of us to wonder has there been a demise of the freedom of speech in South Africa, are we no longer a democratic nation that has a right to express opinion and criticism. Editor Ayanda Mduli expressed his concern to South Africans about the lack of respect when an opinion or perspective is expressed especially when it comes to sensitive global dysfunctionality and violence such as the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The conflict is sensitive because it is influenced by violent attacks, politics, religious beliefs and values and at present it has been void of basic human respect of the value of one another's lives. The way in which people around the world express their disapproval or agreement with the continual outbursts can be termed as freedom of speech and the right to express one's emotions and opinions. According to our constitution, Section 16(1) explicitly states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and other media, freedom of artistic creativity, the right to receive and impart information and ideas as well as the freedom of scientific research and academic freedom. This clause also has limitations which stipulates that one cannot promote or glorify war and utilise speech and expressions that directly incites immediate violence and expressions that encourage hatred and prejudice based on race, ethnicity, gender and religion. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In the case of limitations being breached the judicial courts have the last word and determines what is acceptable or not based on South Africa's democratic values. The concepts of freedom of speech and democracy have often been closely associated and yet can be clearly misunderstood. Our democracy has permitted many of us to be far more expressive than we have been prior to 1994, but the way in which opinions are expressed, and the utilisation of descriptive adjectives and nouns are central in being expressive in a responsible and respectable manner. A key characteristic of South Africa's democracy is human dignity and respect for each other. The concept and applicability of human dignity is universal and primarily focus on the need for each of us to respect one another ethically, irrespective of personal opinions, biases, race, ethnicity, and religious and political beliefs. Patterns of disrespect and misconduct have been noted amidst our political leaders in recent years on mass media platforms which have also contributed towards the process of normalisation of rude and inappropriate behaviour. Many of us have witnessed our politicians disagree among each other in a rude and disrespectful manner. What is further disturbing is that they have also been the perpetrators of misinformation, mal-information, and the delivery of partial information. Their behaviour has redefined impacted how we perceive disrespect and the harsh nonverbal attributes that are expressed by the individual. As a result, South Africans do not have many mentors who lead by example and teach through exemplary behaviour. Similarly, women too have experienced disrespect in paramount ways because of the teachings of patriarchy and the belief that women are not the equal peers of the male. The ways in which disrespect is expressed ranges from dismissive language, personal attacks, accusations without verification as well as verbally abusive language which intends to directly insult and hurt another. Often these instances continue without the full realisation of the negative impact it has on the victim. Mass media platforms have been accurately informing citizens of such instances amidst popular and well-known individuals, but there is no discussion of the impact or steps actioned to curb this behaviour. Ultimately, such behaviour primarily attempts to undermine their opponent's legitimacy and the needs and concerns at hand are hardly acknowledged or responded to as the focus is to unfairly delegitimise the political position of the opponent. As we approach Women's Month, celebrations continue, yet women historically have been victims of disrespect, and alienation in South Africa. Sometimes, women need to be cheered on for their tenacity and endurance in experiencing multiple variations of verbal abuse and disrespect from women, children and men, yet their discernment permits them to navigate these conversations and relationships.
IOL News
30-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Navigating the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A call for respectful dialogue
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale). Image: Supplied The continued youth unemployment in South Africa is becoming a crisis and the government has not been adequately proactive in implementing measures to curb these ratios. 2024 statistics have been bordering close to under 50% and this has been the trend in the last few years. In the first quarter of 2025, the ratio recorded was over 60%. Between the years of 2014 and 2024, youth unemployment increased from 39% to approximately over 60%. The need to educate our youth with appropriate skills and knowledge has become an urgent economic measure, yet there have been 21 SETAS put in place to address this need. The SETAS were established in the year 2000 and 25 years later we still struggle with the same challenges that we had at the outset. Initially, the launch introduced 25 SETAS which were then streamlined into 21. This was in alignment with the Skills Development Act of 1998. The big intended impact was to bridge the gap between the identified skills required and the correct related training facilitation. This was supposed to be achieved through work-based learning opportunities that were intended to teach and groom South Africa's youth. The primary challenge has been and still is whether the correct scarce skill developmental needs have been identified and if the programs have been effective. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Since the launch in 2000, the SETAS have been criticised for various inadequacies, such as lack of proper implementation processes as well as governance issues. Some of these issues are not only challenges within government structures but also private corporations as well as various non- governmental industries as a result the ideal objectives are yet to be achieved all these years later. Journalists have recently reported incidents of youth who have shared their personal experiences of being involved in one of the many SETA programs. Some SETA-funded trainees have successfully completed their training programs and remain unemployed. In addition, other trainees have indicated that the stipulated program/work-based learning opportunity does not always allow them to learn the appropriate skills that are aligned to the certificate or the program title. Sometimes, the learnerships move the trainees around from sector to sector in one industry and this has hindered the trainees from developing a specific and niche area skill. The work-based learning opportunity should ideally facilitate an expertise skill in one niche area. In other instances, trainees do not have the full experience that they are promised. They end up gaining only partial experience relevant to their certification. These trainees feel very cheated about a proper training experience. In 2013 and 2014, an audit revealed that the SETA performance management systems were dysfunctional and there was no follow up process to determine whether the SETA graduates have been employed post the training completion. How does one measure success rate without critical information such as this? The challenge at present is the quality assurance and evaluation analysis of all these work-based learning opportunities. Some SETA trainees have also shared their experiences where their learnership ends abruptly and often without any compensation for the months that they were supposed to be employed. The financial strains thereafter impact their capacity to spend time and energy to find alternative suitable employment. One female SETA trainee is now a food hawker in central business district of Durban. The hindrances of corruption play a pivotal role in the SETAS not meeting the desired outcomes. Money misappropriation, embezzlements as well as fraud lurk in every sector and in some cases, money has been allocated for training purposes and the youth are not trained. The other concern is that the SETAS are not aligned with global market demand labour forces. The onset of the 5th Industrial revolution and the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence have also reshaped the skills required for employable people. The SETAs need to urgently reassess if their training programs are on the verge of redundancy and if they are equipped to skill young South Africans to engage in employment with international corporations. We need to regularly reassess and identify what the required skills are and then align them to the economic needs of South Africa. Unfortunately, this process is not being conducted regularly or very accurately as well. A new pace of assessment of SETA skills and the country's required skills need to be determined in order for us to address high youth unemployment appropriately. The regulations around SETA programs also need to be re assessed, as SETAS need to be focused on the imparting of skills and knowledge that is appropriate to workforce sectors. The regulations can become hindrances for private sectors to consider contributing towards training South African youth. Twenty-five years later and yet there are similar trajectories that we experienced when the SETAS were established. An external audit needs to be implemented to ensure that these SETAS follow conduct of good governance. Youth unemployment needs urgent focus. *The opinions expressed in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
23-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
India's Viksat Bharat 2047: A Blueprint for Development and Job Creation
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale). The quest for equality, socio-economic development has been a global phenomenon, and a vision that many developing nations aspire to. The journey to achieving overall development and improving the lives of all peoples residing in a country is a daunting and huge task. Kudos to India for implementing appropriate measures and strategically planning to meet these targets. Viksat Bharat 2047 is a motion based on the government's vision to move India into being recognised and fully developed by 2047. The Consul General of India, Durban, Dr. Thelma john Davids recently hosted an event that specifically aimed to publicise and inform South Africans of the progression of this strategy. Dr. Nageswaran, chief Economic Advisor Ministry of Finance, India was the guest of honour and informed the guests of the progression of the strategy. It was reported that over the last decade, India has created approximately 17 million jobs, and they have been focusing on labour that is skill intensive. In the previous decade, it was recorded that 4.5 million jobs were created. The numbers have more than tripled and Indian citizens can enjoy a better way of life because they have a livelihood. India's population has escalated to 1.4 billion people and amidst this they still manage to sustain an unemployment rate of under 6% in recent years. In comparison, South Africa has doubled their number of employed persons since 1994, and it has been recorded till date that approximately 16 million people are employed. Yet the unemployment rate in relevance to our population size is still almost 40% and it has been stagnating at that rate for a number of years. An analysis can further investigate as to how accurate these developmental statistics are, but despite their capacity to be marginally or partially inaccurate, they give a clear benchmark of how progressive countries are in meeting their developmental goals. The National Development Plan of 2030 is five years ahead of us, and we need to investigate avenues that will speed up the process of minimising unemployment to create a far more equal society which is less poverty-stricken than previously. Employment in the agricultural and construction sector has been punted and the Minister clearly indicated that we must sell these career trajectories to our youth, because this is where the need and viability lies for employment and economic development in the near future. The pace at which India has more than tripled their employment rates is admirable, and I do question what the methodology has been to achieve this. The minister at the event highlighted that many of the employment opportunities have been determined by needs and the need in India has been construction. In the last 10 years, the country has built 88 airports in and around the country. To be precise, this is one airport completed in 40 days. These governmental projects have continued to contribute towards long-term employment for individuals in the arena of construction. In comparison, since 1994, King Shaka International Airport was the only airport that was built in 2010 and other airports such as Oliver Tambo International Airport were refurbished. However, India's success today is also based on their economic workforce that has been integrated into the global economy through technological innovation and advancement. India has become a leading global player in the advancement of technological products and innovations. This required Indians to become highly skilled and educated within the realms of sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which they have achieved. Bengaluru, the South of India has been renowned to be similar to America's Silicon Valley in terms of technological innovation and the centralisation of these hubs that contribute effectively to employment. The demand has now shifted, and India aligns their employment typology demands with global trends and current requirements. The world is grappling with the use of artificial intelligence which threatens many jobs, portfolios, and tasks in the corporate workspace across sectors. India's stance has been to promote and encourage their youth to focus on labour intensive skill development in the arenas of construction and agriculture. There has been plenty of banter about employment opportunities that may become redundant with the increased utilisation of artificial intelligence and related technological programs and platforms. These platforms have been enhancing many portfolios and tasks in the corporate sector but ultimately lack human judgement, emotional intelligence, contextual understanding and relevance as well as defined and specific applicability to a context, place, time-frame and need. The question beckons as to what South Africans can learn from India in various ways. The onset of the G20 initiative is an avenue whereby countries can engage in interdependence and to foster global economic development and cooperation. The primary aim is to achieve development through policy development and valued modification as well as coordination of strategies, systems, and the implication processes of development strategies. The key players of the G20 Collaborative team include The African Union and European Union and 19 independent countries including South Africa namely; Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. One of the objects of the G20 platforms is measures to minimise the various forms of corruption in the above-mentioned countries. The development of strategy planning, frameworks and policies are merely not enough, but we need to investigate the various ways of applying these policies successfully. The challenge has always been within South Africa's capacity to implement a program of change or a developmental program successfully. An impactful example is the continued challenges that we experience with The National Schools Nutrition Program, which has been continually criticised for tender rigging processes and poor service delivery to learners. Yet this programme is fundamental to long-term effective development of society and addresses two of our main challenges, namely educational development and hunger and poverty. The onus lies on South Africans to ensure that every programme runs to its best capacity, and we need to look to our vision of 2030 and beyond. *The opinions expressed in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
16-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
The Impact of Economic Challenges on South Africa's Grade 12 Learners and Future Employment
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale). Image: Supplied We have approached the second schooling term and South Africa's grade 12 learners are now preparing for the final grade 12 exams. The pressures today for most learners completing school are daunting considering the many challenges that lie ahead of a new school leaver in South Africa. The recent export tariff of 30% imposed by Trump on all South African exports in The United States has detrimental impacts for our economy. Wine, Macadamia nuts and our fresh produce contribute substantially to the global and national economy and an increased tariff margin means ultimately that Americans will look to purchase alternative imported products. Any additional price increase deemed by South African business markets would be an addition to the existing 30% which will come into effect from August 1, 2025. The Summer Citrus Program from South Africa will most likely have a devastating impact on our economy. The Program has ensured South Africa exports citrus during the summer months in The Northern Hemisphere because their production levels are low. This program has also boosted the quantities and varieties of citrus products exported to the United States of America and Ceres Fruit Growers have had a central role in this program. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ultimately, every South African is impacted as the ripple effect is bound to develop. A slower growing economy will be the cause of greater socio-economic circumstances and pressures for the average South African. Central to the anticipated economic turbulence is the aftereffects of a stagnating or shrinking economy which ultimately means fewer job opportunities for South Africans. There will be less expenditure on infrastructure and development in South Africa will be minimal in the long-term. We can expect sales of South African products to decrease in the US, and this revenue that has been accessible to South Africa will no longer be. The question beckoning is how do we now compensate for this revenue and how do we manage the expected job losses that are parallel to a shrinking economy. Grade 12 learners enter a world of employment in 2026 or aspire to attain university or Technikon entry and complete a qualification. The formal economy is a sector where graduates have an opportunity to display their attributes that have been derived from their educational experiences. These attributes are not just limited to skills, but also attitudes, and worldviews which are relevant to global and national socio-economic functionalities and dysfunctionalities of the world. The increased number of school leavers that now have a grade 12 and meet the entry requirements for a formal tertiary education outnumber the number of learners universities and FET colleges and Technikons can accommodate. South Africa is in need of skills directly linked to the area of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematical focusses which can aid and facilitate the onset of technological innovation and development which is locally born. At present we are paying high tariffs for the importation of technological devices, and all other related products. The dichotomy is overwhelming, because there is a dire need for younger generations in South Africa to be educated and spear ahead in development, but their university opportunities are minimal and there is a lack of internship opportunities available. Technologically Innovative plants are also key to creating employment and would aid to keep up with the new fourth and fifth technological revolution and be able to skill out youth in this domain. These developmental structures are yet to develop because of the lack of skills and hubs that exist in South Africa. South Africans often report that the impacts of a brain drain are detrimental, but with a shrinking economy this can only exacerbate. The emigration of skilled professionals' impact public services and social development. Economically, there is a shrinking tax base, and less expertise within our educational and healthcare facilities. Earlier generations could have invested their knowledge, expertise and skills into newly graduated grade 12 learners, which could enhance the continuity of teaching and learning in the scarce arenas of STEM subjects. The loss of expertise in South Africa has long term impacts which hinder development holistically. The challenges still remain. In a shrinking economy, how does one find employment and how does one attain a skill that is ardently required to sustain a livelihood in South Africa. In a stagnating economy, professional South Africans are on the lookout for greener pastures globally rather than remaining in an economy that cannot afford good salaries and benefits or the technological support these specialists require to grow in their professions. The government needs to address a means to generate a healthy growing economy and enable young school leavers to aspire to access educational and employment opportunities locally, skills and development can thrive and harvest for future generations and towards an economy that thrives. *The opinions expressed in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
04-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Understanding the Challenges Facing South Africa's Youth in 2025
Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale). Picture: Supplied Image: Supplied THE month of June brings South Africa's youth to the fore. Youth Month is all about understanding the role youth play in society and determining how we can meet their needs as a society and community. The youth of South Africa constitute approximately one-third of South Africa's population and comprise individuals who are between the ages of 15 and 34 years. Recent years in South Africa have been difficult for youth in our country. We have had a staggering ratio of youth unemployment coupled with schools being poorly resourced with teachers and materials for effective teaching and learning to take place. In addition, many of our youth have become victims of sexual harassment and various forms of violence on school premises. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ The sense of belonging and safety within the school community has been eroded and further exacerbated by the increasing number of teachers who have been the perpetrators and or have been witnesses to these incidents but have opted to be silent. Parents and children now question their safety on the premises, and amidst school teachers and principals. Schools in particular have no longer become safe spaces for our youth and it is overwhelming for many. Also, these children have to focus on improving academic focus and achievement and try to identify their academic strengths and weaknesses to facilitate the development of a career after schooling years. Our youth are constantly struggling with developing careers post-school and university as many graduates are not absorbed by the formal economy. During research encounters, I have met young unemployed graduates who seek to create a livelihood in entrepreneurship as a means of survival and in some cases have no correlation with their qualifications. But more importantly, university pass rates are low nationally, and in present times, the university student drop-out rate is high. It has been reported that approximately 50% of first-year level students drop out and the reasons are multiple. In 2023, it was reported that only 7.3% of South Africans between the ages of 25 and older have a degree, despite the numerous efforts of the government to fund education at tertiary educational institutions. Statistics South Africa has reported that the unemployment rate among young females was estimated at 49,4% in 2024, and the reasons varied. Central to the motivation as to why women also choose to be unemployed during their years of youth is that they may be young and new mothers as aligned with the female biological clock and other family responsibilities. These responsibilities can impede their educational attainment and, subsequently, their advancement within the South African labor market. Other reasons include a lack of appropriate career counseling, lack of financial and academic support as well as poor academic performance which are often associated with work or family commitments. The need to address the high student dropout rate should be prioritised and it can begin by understanding why. It was also reported that approximately one in two Technikon first-year students tend to drop out and in the majority of cases they have not had appropriate and encouraging career counseling. The need for youth to empower themselves through educational and social upliftment has to be reinforced through mass media engagements and public discourses. We have a huge drug and alcohol consumption problem among our youth too, and research has indicated that the consumption of drugs and alcohol contributes to poor academic performance, leaving schoolgoers feeling discouraged and leaving, whereas university students drop out. Career counseling should become a mandatory component of school curriculums nationally, especially at the onset of secondary school. Youth need to be guided appropriately and in detail. They need to be informed about how subject choices can impact the trajectory of their career and educational development after completing Grade 12. The majority of South African youth need to be fully informed of what it takes to build a career and understand the importance of setting goals for themselves. To complement this, learners need to be taught appropriate study skills so that their academic performance can be enhanced. Study skills are a lifelong tool that is required by every individual to learn and develop through educational systems. Often youth are left to develop these skills independently and somewhat struggle to identify a study approach that is best suited to their needs, challenges, and personalities. Youth need to be taught how to absorb, process, and retain information that they are taught in the schooling and tertiary education environments. These skills need to be taught and can be learned through specific exercises combined with time management skills.
