In an effort to fight unemployment, Umvoti Municipality under Mayor Philani Mavundla has funded 50 youth to train in Mangaung Municipality as traffic officials.
The selected youth is expected to serve the Municipality in 2025 upon finishing their training which will take a year.
Umvoti Municipality is paying for all the expenses including accommodation.
In 2011, 30 learners were sent to Mangaung for a samilar programme. Out of the 30 students who were trained, 25 have since been employed by other municipalities while the other 5 are still serving uMvoti municipality.
Speaking during a send-off ceremony, the Mayor said he hoped that the youth will serve uMvoti Municipality with the skills they will learn.
Mavundla is hopeful that everything will go as planned and that upon their return they will come back to make a difference in their families as they will be classified under the middle class bracket.
He also announced that the Municipality is training 82 other youth with different skills training.
Mavundla also announced that in July which will be the begonning of a new financial year, his municipality will open the South Africa Bakery School which will train 150 youth every year.
He explained that the reason for such initiatives is to show the youth from his municipality that his leadership is supportive.
He further outlined that the municipality hopes that the youth in uMvoti municipality will grab such opportunities for the betterment of their future.
Another exciting project in the pipeline is the construction of a new 10 000 square metre shopping center will be built this year.
The Mayor said the project will create around 600 job opportunities.
Mavundla highlighted that under his leadership he wants the municilality to be seen as one with credible and capable leadership which has the best interest in the development of its people.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Sbongiseni Goge from Ward 13 thanked Mayor Mavundla for giving the youth an opportunity which he said will benefit the communities and also them as families.
Goge stressed that where Mayor Mavundla leads, he strive to change the lives of the youth as they will help their families which will in turn grow the economy and the municipality.
He hopes that this is not the beginning but that the Mayor one day will help train firefighters and even the nurses.
Goge also called for calm and unity in the Council of uMvoti Municipality which has been marred by infighting and controversy.
He said they need to realise that if they work together the communities reap the rewards.