DA members march for jobs

HUNDREDS of DA members braved the rain and marched to the Port Elizabeth City Hall yesterday demanding jobs as the party stepped up its campaign to win the hearts and minds of unemployed young people.

Leading the march from near the Donkin Reserve in Central to the City Hall, the party’s mayoral candidate, Athol Trollip, was flanked by MPs John Steenhuisen, Yusuf Cassim and Phumzile van Damme.

Trollip said at the City Hall it was time to vote for a party that created jobs for the youth.

“This is an illustration that we are a political party taking issues of young people very seriously,” he said.

“The youth represent the biggest constituency in the country and, in this metro 47.3% of the youth are unemployed.

“Their voice will be heard in this office [City Hall] on August 3.”

Van Damme said it was sad that most of the unemployed residents in the city were young people.

“Almost half of our young people that are sitting at home unemployed have looked for jobs and some have given up,” she said.

“A vote for Trollip in these elections will be a vote for a mayor who will bring hope, better service delivery and jobs.”

DA parliamentary chief whip Steenhuisen said: “It does not make sense that most of the youth in South Africa are unemployed while Jacob Zuma and Danny Jordaan have jobs.

“You have the power to change that in this metro.” Cassim said job creation in the metro depended on what would happen on August 3.

“Are we willing to go another five years telling our friends, colleagues and children they must go to Cape Town if they want a better life?

“Young people in this city are unemployed and the sad reality about this is that the more they stay unemployed the more they become less employable,” he said.