By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
Political newbies Rise Mzansi have urged company bosses to get involved in fighting a disturbing culture of sex-for-jobs in the mining and retail sectors.
After months of talking to unemployed youth, the party said it had received feedback that young people and even graduates were being forced to pay bribes just to get into an interview.
Previously highlighted in the public service, especially in municipalities, the party said that paying bribes to get a job in South Africa was becoming a norm.
Even in predominantly rural provinces like the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, families often pay with sheep for their children to get jobs.
“We recognise and stand with those who are forced to pay cash or [give] sexual favours to get a job,” said Rise Mzansi founder Songezo Zibi.
“We believe that it is the responsibility of both the public and private sector to acknowledge
that this is a widespread practice and not just isolated incidents that tend to go away.
“These crimes are perpetuated in many industrial sectors, mining and retail in particular, as
well as at local government level.”
Zibi led a protest at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Tuesday to bring the scourge to the attention of the chief executives who often leave staff recruitment to labour brokers and agencies.
He said top management could no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the problem.
“Rise Mzansi calls on the JSE, Sacci [the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry], Salga [the South African Local Government Association] and various government departments and legislators to work with us to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to these criminal offences.
“Rise Mzansi spoke with many South Africans as part of our listening tour in the past 18
months, who raised the issue of having to pay with money or sex to get a job,” Zibi said.
“In a country where more than 7.9-million people are looking for work, predators are preying on desperate job seekers who suffer in silence.”
Pictured above: Rise Mzansi staged a protest against sex-for-jobs at the JSE on Tuesday.
Source: X
