Name: Clayton Lukas

Age: 25

Occupation: Unemployed

Dear Mr President,

Having to stay in South Africa has become the least favourite option we as young people have. OUR country is not OUR country anymore, this country is YOURS. None of our opinions is worth the try, yet you expect US as the YOUTH to vote for a system which has clearly not been effective.

Here is the thing, our country's unemployment rate is most probably 7 out of 10 which do not have jobs. Instead of having a growth in new businesses, you are wasting money on tenders which makes way for corruption. If every start-up business could be funded with a certain percentage by government and given a project as well, it would boost employment as these start-ups will employ more hands to complete projects. But yet high-ranking officials who can easily manipulate the system give out tenders that their beneficiaries benefit from it.

RDP Housing is a huge issue in our country as everyone wants to own a property. Fighting won't solve anything. Why not have government state-owned flats and houses and have those occupied? This way, these properties belong to government and can be rotated occasionally to another owner in the case there won't be any occupation.

So much more could be done to solve our simple issues in South Africa, yet our president does not hear our cries as the youth. What's the use staying in a country that is not beneficial to OUR growth as a youth? Countries abroad have become a safe haven as we can become anything we can dream and work towards to.

Your country is not in too deep a hole yet, Mr President. You can still rescue it but as part of the youth of South Africa, I won't be here to watch it being pushed further into the ground. 

My opinion: Elections are around the corner and everyone is looking to see which party can save us from our misery. My honest opinion? If we want change to happen now, only Cyril Ramaphosa can change the state of South Africa. If he could have more power within the ANC, he will be able to shuffle things around and rule out corruption. But if we are looking to change a ruling party, another 20 years of a broken South Africa is what we are looking at. A new party will have to find its feet. The DA has governed a province, but not yet a whole country. 

Our country has several issues but the youth can no longer bear it. Our future was here but was stolen. Don't be angry as we will search for it somewhere else.

Regards,

From your lost child