Nasi Ispani Faces Criticism Despite Relaunch

Programme seen as political gimmick that leverages on unemployed youth’s desperations

Refilwe Mochoari

The Nasi Ispani job creation programme, an ambitious initiative by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi backed with a R50-million budget, has encountered significant criticism despite recent revival attempts.

Though its stated goal is to tackle youth unemployment by offering skills training and practical job opportunities to 45 000 young people aged 18 to 35, many jobseekers view the effort as merely another government "talk show," particularly with elections approaching. The initial rollout ended in widespread disappointment, leaving participants frustrated due to non-payments.

Earlier this month, Premier Lesufi launched the second round at the Grace Bible Church in Katlehong, drawing thousands of hopeful youth to the long queues. During the launch, Lesufi pledged that this phase would be exclusively for Gauteng residents and announced a move away from the tendering system, which he believes is the root cause of corruption.

According to Elijah Mhlanga, spokesperson for the Gauteng provincial government, the programme seeks to build state capacity by providing work experience and formally accredited training, aligning with the government's broader objective of economic inclusion.

Participants are expected to receive training in essential technical maintenance tasks within hospitals, including roles in food services, boiler room operations, theatre, pharmacy, and administration. However, opposition parties have sharply criticised the programme, alleging that Lesufi is using it as a purely political move to garner votes.

Refilwe Nt’sekhe, DA shadow MEC for the Department of Social Development, labeled the programme an unfunded mandate, warning that essential provincial services would suffer to keep it afloat.

Nt’sekhe cited the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Environment's failure to pay service providers and workers in the expanded public works programme on time as evidence of the financial strain caused by the Nasi Ispani extension.

On the ground, many jobseekers remain unaware of the programme's existence; for instance, 28-year-old Thando Mofokeng from Tembisa is actively seeking work but knows nothing about the initiative and is unaware of anyone employed through it.

Furthermore, Terecia Stuurman, an unemployed graduate from Dobsonville 3, Johannesburg, applied in the first round but received no feedback and will not apply again, citing the many unpaid participants from the initial phase.

Many other individuals from around Gauteng share similar sentiments, with Lesufi coming under fire for this programme that has brought his party, the governing African NAtional Congress, into disrepute.