Pretoria - For the past five years, Lindelani Zulu has been knocking on doors and sending job applications to various companies but with no luck. He feels that the diploma certificate he obtained six years ago is just a worthless piece of paper.
Aged 29, Zulu says the only thing he wants to hear from President Jacob Zuma during his State of the Nation Address is where jobs for the unemployed are going to come from.
"I've spent three years at the Tshwane University of Technology but up until today, I can't find a permanent job. Sometimes I even wonder why I bothered with a tertiary education.
"President Zuma should explain to us where are these jobs he always promises us because, I've been knocking on every companies' door but to no avail," said a frustrated Zulu, who has a Diploma in Tourism Management.
Kedibone Mokoena, who matriculated in 2009, said the government should give more information regarding financial assistance for poor students who want to further their studies in higher education institutions.
"Learners in rural areas lack information regarding access to NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme]. I couldn't go to higher institutions due to lack of finance at home, whereas there is NSFAS for people like us, but due to lack of information on our part, the money ends up assisting people who don't really need it.
"When he delivers the State of the Nation Address, I want the President to reiterate government's commitment to assist learners from poor backgrounds through NSFAS, but it should not end there. The information should be spread out to rural areas, where learners in high schools lack such information," said Mokoena.
Zuma will at 7pm address a Joint Sitting of Parliament in the National Assembly. The address will be broadcast live on SABC and its radio stations.
Economic transformation and the delivery of basic services are expected to feature highly in Zuma's address, as well as government's five priorities of health, fighting crime, education, jobs and rural development.
With the government having recently announced its New Growth Path, which intends to create 5 million jobs in the next 10 years, much hope can be lent to people like Zulu and Mokoena. Government is hoping its job creation plan will slash unemployment from 25 percent to 15 percent.
Parliament earlier this week announced the theme for the State of the Nation Address, "Celebrating the Legacy of Freedom" through strengthening its link to the public.
The theme emphasised Parliament's role as the arm of the South African state, which is constitutionally mandated to deliberate on and pass laws, and to exercise oversight over the executive.
