I MPORTANT CHANGES RESULTED FROM BEING UNEMPLOYED

Tshepo mentioned the following:

 More dependent than before.

4.3.10 Challenges.

On the question, which things are major problems in his life and his community, Tshepo singled out:

 Unemployment.

 Poverty.

He indicated that unemployment is rife in the township because most of his peers did not even reach matric and like him, many have no intention to go back to school anymore. He said a lot of people such as himself do not have matric because they are not allowed to go back and finish matric or to improve their matric results. Moreover, people without matric also do not find any form of employment, and if they do it does not pay well. He said he knows people who passed matric well and some with degrees who are not working, “Ngeke silunge kulabantu mfanakithi” (We can‟t compete with these people, man). According to Tshepo, the government has a challenge, to create employment for township masses particularly the youth because most of them cannot „tolerate‟ living in poverty.

Rape is another problem that people and the government need to deal with in the township. He said girls in the township contribute to this, by not dressing well.

This is a very common response one gets from most men not only in Zola but around the country. He indicated that a lot of girls love parties, bashes and drink a lot ending up being taken advantage of. He indicated that he knows a number of girls who ended up being raped because of excessive drinking in parties and bashes.

Respondent: Bulela Magazi.

4.4 Background.

Bulela is a 25-year-old who has never had employment. He lives in a family house, of 6, consisting of himself his parents, and three younger sisters.

NAME AGE RESIDENCE PARENTS EDUCATION EVER BEEN

EMPLOYED Bulela

Magazi

25 Family house

Both parents

Public

administration diploma

No

Table 4: Bulela‟s profile.

The house belongs to his parents who both have permanent jobs.

4.4.1 Availability of food and living conditions within the household.

Bulela‟s parents have always had enough money to buy food for the family. He was happy with his living conditions because he is treated well in his household.

He has his own room, and his 3 sisters share one room. He indicated that he is happy because he knows guys older than him who share rooms with their sisters around the location and he is grateful he is not one of them. However, he believes he is old enough to move out as an eldest in the family. He indicated that he needs his privacy and space. Bulela was concerned that he cannot even bring his girlfriend and let her stay over night because it would be disrespectful to his parents.

4.4.2 Relationship with his family.

Bulela said his relationship with his family is not bad. Though they often fight about a lot of things with his parents, he still thinks that their relationship is not bad. He said being unemployed makes things unbearable. Bulela personally thinks that his parents are running out of patience particularly his father, whose treatment is worsening everyday. He said he and his father used to be close and often talked about soccer, but things have changed. Recently, his father is hostile towards him, and Bulela suspects it has something to do with being unemployed.

Q: What makes you think that things have changed?

A: “There is tension between me and my parents, particularly my father”

Q: What makes you think there is tension?

A “I have also seen this through my mother, I can tell that my father has said something to her”.

Bulela says his mother always behaves in a certain way if his father has expressed his dissatisfaction about him (Bulela). Bulela believes he is now too old to share the same house with his father.

When asked whether being unemployed has positively or negatively affected his relationship his family members, Bulela indicated that the relationship has been negatively affected. According to Bulela he used to get along well with both his parents and his sisters adored and respected him, but now all that has changed.

Bulela complained, “Even my younger sisters no longer have the kind of admiration and respect they had when I was still at the technikon”. He believes that being unemployed has made his sisters think less of him. He also believed that this is because he spends too much time with them at home as he is presently unemployed.

4.4.3 Daily schedule/activity/ies.

Bulela sleeps after 22:00 and wakes up at around 08:00 am. Describing what he does on daily basis, Bulela said:

 “To be honest with you, I don‟t do anything” He said he normally goes out and visit his friends, who sometimes visit him at home. He only comes back later to eat during the day and late at night to sleep.

When asked how often he watches television, he said he watches television whenever he has time to, and does not listen to radio. He said he also does not read newspapers.