Giving Foreign Nationals the boot will not solve our unemployment crisis

GIVING FOREIGN NATIONALS THE BOOT

WILL NOT

SOLVE OUR NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS
 

I have received the following from an employer (Gerhard Papenfus)

The back seat was a bit worn from excessive use, but the dated Uber-taxi was polished to a starry shine. 
 
It is Cape Town International Airport, and I am on my way to the city, when the friendly, jubilant taxi driver’s mood suddenly turned sombre. “The bank said they will close my account by year-end if I do not present a renewed workers permit. My application was rejected.” According to him, there are about 8000 souls that endure this relentless schedule of taxi trips 24/7. “Few people want this job because it is just a job, not a life, but I am thankful to be able to work.” 
 
Once a year, he boards a bus and travels for days to visit his family in Zimbabwe, soon to return and repeat the cycle in an effort to support his Harare-based family. “I guess I have no choice but to go home to nothing, no work, no money, a hopeless future.”  
 
Back in Gauteng, a transport coordinator battles to hold back his tears. He became attached to his best truck driver with an impeccable, decade-long service history. He knows the ins-and-outs of the business, the customers and daily routes. The renewal of his work permit is also not forthcoming. 
 
The first 22 interviewees to replace him presented perfect paperwork (referring to truck driver licenses), but when tested, none of them were remotely able to drive the truck in a manner that this proud Zimbabwean could.                                                            
 
Maybe they should never have been here in the first place, but now that they are, their contribution might just prove to be of greater magnitude than we ever thought. 
 
To fix our unemployment debacle in this manner may just cost our already battered economy dearly. 

For more information:
NEASA Media Department
media@neasa.co.za