Pretoria - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has called on the South African Jewish board to help government as it tries to deal with the high unemployment rate, especially among the youth.
Speaking during the 46th conference of the South African Jewish Board, Motlanthe said "until we all work together to mentor, as a country, to educate and train the youth they will remain without hope for a better future."
He said South Africa was not insulated from uprising seen through the world led by the youth because governments have not provided them with hope, while at the same time minority class groups continue to flaunt their wealth through conspicuous consumptive culture.
"Our country is not insulated from these challenges especially because we have close to 2.8 million young people between ages of 18 and 24 that are unemployed and not in any institution of learning.
"This statistic represents the ticking time bomb that threatens to aflame pent-up emotions within the youth if not urgently addressed," Motlanthe told the conference.
Therefore, he said, it was important to understand the current youth unrests as a bellow of hungry calls for development, which must be addressed forthrightly and without delay.
"I believe that the South African Jewish board of deputies is well positioned to help us answer some of these challenges because of the skills, knowledge and influence your members wields as significant role players in the South African economy."
The deputy president hoped that the Jewish Board of deputies would help inculcate and share the experiences and skills to help develop the rest of the toiling majority of the nation.
"The challenges are many but I am confident that the Jewish Board of deputies will continue to join efforts for growth and job creation as the main artery that forms the life-line to our shared future as South Africans."
