Makashule Gana is a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development.

The dreams of our young people have been stolen by government leaders, many of whom should be on pensions. To be young in Gauteng and South Africa in 2022 is to be unemployed.

June 16 is the day that commemorates the heroics of the 1976 generation of learners who were brave enough to confront the oppressive apartheid regime. It is a day on which we as a country should ordinarily take stock of how far we have come in integrating young people into the mainstream economic and social aspects of the country.

In the early periods of our democracy, young people would flock to stadiums to listen to what the democratically elected government was doing to create a conducive environment for young people to learn, work and contribute positively to the future of the country. Twenty-eight years into democracy, many young people I have interacted with have lost all hope that this government has a plan or the political will to address many issues young people face in South Africa, hence very few will attend any of the government events on...