Africa-Press – South-Africa. Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi says the Nasi iSpani programme is exclusive to South Africans based in Gauteng, and no foreign national will be considered for the programme.
The premier led the relaunch of the programme in Katlehong on Thursday. About 45,000 unemployed youth aged between 18 and 35 will gain practical skills in plumbing, welding, ICT, bricklaying, electrical work and other fields while receiving a stipend.
“You need to roll up your sleeves, but you must come from Gauteng,” Lesufi said.
“I am the premier of Gauteng, and I will take care of the people of Gauteng. There must be no-one who is brought to our province because of opportunities. The opportunities are for the people of Gauteng and not for anyone who’s a foreigner in our country. These are opportunities for our people.”
He urged young people to apply for the opportunity to be considered for future jobs.
“We are coming to you to say if you’re unemployed and need opportunities, the time is now to show your commitment. We’ll pay people to train you, and while you’re attending the training for 24 months or so, we’ll pay you a stipend that will allow you to come to school, receive training and get support.”
The Nasi iSpani initiative was launched in 2023 to address youth unemployment in Gauteng. The provincial government has allocated R50m to kick-start the programme, with other state agencies expected to add resources.
Lesufi highlighted the challenges faced by the province, saying trainers will be hired to fix the issues.
“We are of the view, as the Gauteng government, that we can’t have our schools, roads and clinics collapsing when we have a high number of young people who are unemployed. We are bringing in trainers from sectors and industries to train our people. Instead of the government seeking tenders, we will have you do the work and pay you.”
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