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Research Problem
South Africa is economically identified as a developing country due to insufficient resources that could be readily available for the empowerment of its citizens. As a developing country, South Africa still faces many challenges, including a high rate of unemployment. Consequently, the majority of those who are unemployed, or who are deprived of the opportunity to be employed, are Black graduates*. Many Black South Africans have blamed apartheid for this irregular economic flaw **, and on the other hand, many White South Africans have blamed the government’s mismanagement tactics**. South Africa is a diverse country that has a history of apartheid where Black people were ill-treated and deprived of economic opportunities. One of the tactics of the apartheid leaders used was to deprive the Black race of quality education; thus, leaving them in unfair economic state. It must be noted that apartheid also introduced Bantu education, which did not allow many Black people to access university education. The reader must note that it was only in 1994 that many Black people regained easy access to quality education.
The ANC political party, which has a majority of Black people as members, has been running the country since 1994 when South Africa regained its democracy. Thus, it has been 23 years since the official dispensation of apartheid; meaning that the ANC government has had 23 years to rectify the unfairness that resulted from apartheid. Moreover, they have had the same number of years to distribute resources, which include employment opportunities, especially to those who were previously disadvantaged.
Considering the Blacks versus Whites’ assumptions, this project aims to explore the root cause for the high unemployment rate among Black graduates in South Africa.
* van Broekhuizen, H. "Graduate unemployment and Higher Education Institutions in South Africa." Stellenbosch Working Paper. 2016. JEL: J64, I23, I26. Print.
** Du Preez, M. "Who is to blame for South Africa's failure?" News 24, 14 June 2016. Web. 16 March 2017 < www.news24.com/Columnists/MaxduPreez/who-is-to-blame-for-south-africas-failures-20160614 >.
The ANC political party, which has a majority of Black people as members, has been running the country since 1994 when South Africa regained its democracy. Thus, it has been 23 years since the official dispensation of apartheid; meaning that the ANC government has had 23 years to rectify the unfairness that resulted from apartheid. Moreover, they have had the same number of years to distribute resources, which include employment opportunities, especially to those who were previously disadvantaged.
Considering the Blacks versus Whites’ assumptions, this project aims to explore the root cause for the high unemployment rate among Black graduates in South Africa.
* van Broekhuizen, H. "Graduate unemployment and Higher Education Institutions in South Africa." Stellenbosch Working Paper. 2016. JEL: J64, I23, I26. Print.
** Du Preez, M. "Who is to blame for South Africa's failure?" News 24, 14 June 2016. Web. 16 March 2017 < www.news24.com/Columnists/MaxduPreez/who-is-to-blame-for-south-africas-failures-20160614 >.
Central Research Question (CRQ)
What is the root cause for the high unemployment rate among Black graduates in South Africa?
Project’s exigency (an urgent need or demand)
The introduction of social media has exposed an urgent need for employment opportunities, particularly for the Black race. Over the recent years, many Black graduates have been posting their graduation pictures and unemployment situations in an effort to beg for jobs through social media. Through their stories, they have implied that both the private and public sectors do not give Black graduates job opportunities. Twitter, for example, has been the leading platform on which Black graduates beg for employment opportunities. Prior to the social media excessive usage, the masses depended on statistics released by either the government or private research companies; thus, not allowing the public to closely scrutinise the unemployment rate of graduates. However, this free access to live, valid and reliable statistics has also raised a debate and a blame game within the two racial groups — Blacks and Whites.
Currently, there has not been anyone who has publicly taken responsibility or accountability for the increasing unemployment rate that Black graduates face, hence the blame game, and the lack of a properly defined root cause. According to Kaoru Ishikawa’s fishbone diagram* claims that one must define various factors that could be the cause before commencing with a development plan.
Black people in this research are mainly Africans and do not include Coloureds, Indians or Chinese.
*Ishikawa, K. "Guide to Quality Control". 1968. Tokyo: JUSE.
Currently, there has not been anyone who has publicly taken responsibility or accountability for the increasing unemployment rate that Black graduates face, hence the blame game, and the lack of a properly defined root cause. According to Kaoru Ishikawa’s fishbone diagram* claims that one must define various factors that could be the cause before commencing with a development plan.
Black people in this research are mainly Africans and do not include Coloureds, Indians or Chinese.
*Ishikawa, K. "Guide to Quality Control". 1968. Tokyo: JUSE.
Project's Kairos (right opportune moment)
South Africans will be voting for a new government and/or president in the year 2019. Subsequently, the findings and relevance of this project will be informative and influential to the voting process. It is at this time that the plans to improve the situation must be taken with urgency; therefore, also indicating a need to obtain informed and researched analyses. The year 2017 marks a critical point for the current government because, in the previous year, the ANC lost a significant percentage of voters in the provincial elections. Thus, highlighting the possibility of the same results coming up again in the 2019 national and presidential elections.
This project, by exploring and finding the root cause for the unemployment imbalance in South Africa, has a potential to indicate that the majority of voters, which are the youth* may negatively affect the poll results. Having a job in South Africa is viewed as an achievement **; Black South Africans study and obtain degrees because of the belief that education will enable them to find employment. Therefore, if the youth are unsatisfied due to lack of employment or opportunities, the voting results may also be affected.
*Maswili, B. "Born Free in South Africa." 2014. Fieldworker, 2(5). Print.
**Cohen, T. and Moodley, L."Achieving "decent work" in South Africa?." 2012. PER, 15(2). Ptint.
This project, by exploring and finding the root cause for the unemployment imbalance in South Africa, has a potential to indicate that the majority of voters, which are the youth* may negatively affect the poll results. Having a job in South Africa is viewed as an achievement **; Black South Africans study and obtain degrees because of the belief that education will enable them to find employment. Therefore, if the youth are unsatisfied due to lack of employment or opportunities, the voting results may also be affected.
*Maswili, B. "Born Free in South Africa." 2014. Fieldworker, 2(5). Print.
**Cohen, T. and Moodley, L."Achieving "decent work" in South Africa?." 2012. PER, 15(2). Ptint.
Audience
This project is addressed to the South African governmental bodies because they are the decision makers when it comes to labour issues in the country. They have the power to ensure that Black graduates are considered; they can also change the existing labour rules, challenge placed policies, or introduce new ways that labour processes can be handled in this country. It is a known fact that governmental influence is effective in changing the lifestyles and situations of countries. Additionally, the governmental bodies have the power to rule and overturn obsolete processes, which no longer serve the purpose of the nation. Therefore, to have an informed readership who can make a difference is vital, especially for the Black unemployed graduates in South Africa. The current government can incorporate the ideas and findings stated in this project into their strategy planning, and the prospective leaders can use this project as a source for both their campaigns and the planning process.
Additionally, the race blame for the failure of the system may be lessened.
Additionally, the race blame for the failure of the system may be lessened.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders are defined as members, either legal entities or humans, who have an interest in the outcome of an organisation, a group or a project*. The stakeholders to this project are all citizens of South Africa, particularly, the Black graduates. South Africans are all affected, directly or indirectly, by the lack of opportunities. This project is important because in raising an awareness by exploring the root cause for the high unemployment among Black graduates, all stakeholders will be able to plan effectively, address the issues at hand, and continue to explore proper processes that can be used to rectify labour imbalances in South Africa.
*Sharp, H., Finkelstein, A. & Galal, G. "Stakeholder Identification in the Requirements Engineering Process." 1999. Web. 16 March 2017. <discovery.ucl.ac.uk/744/1/1.7_stake.pdf>.
*Sharp, H., Finkelstein, A. & Galal, G. "Stakeholder Identification in the Requirements Engineering Process." 1999. Web. 16 March 2017. <discovery.ucl.ac.uk/744/1/1.7_stake.pdf>.
Sources & Methods
This research requires that I consider both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Targeted sources for this project will be (i) the internet: Online academic journals, news outlets, and including social media platforms. The internet provides immediate and easily accessible information; (ii) purchased magazines because they provide approved and timely public information; and (iii) governmental or political members through interviews because they tend to have relevant and first-hand information that may not be readily available to the public.
Disclaimer
The selected media has been included to emphasises the current state and the extent that Black graduates in the Republic of South Africa will go to be recognised as capable, fit, qualified, and able to work for corporations. The hyperlinks give a brief explanation for those who might not know the meaning to the hyperlinked terms.
2017. Mitta Xinindlu. All Rights Reserved.
The selected media has been included to emphasises the current state and the extent that Black graduates in the Republic of South Africa will go to be recognised as capable, fit, qualified, and able to work for corporations. The hyperlinks give a brief explanation for those who might not know the meaning to the hyperlinked terms.
2017. Mitta Xinindlu. All Rights Reserved.