Kgora farming centre recruitment sparks youth outrage

By Patrick Makinita

Kgora Farming Centre

Confusion and anger have erupted among unemployed young people in the North West after a provincial government internship advert circulated widely, only for the MEC to later dismiss it as fake news.

Unemployed youths across North West were left angry and disillusioned after applying for what appeared to be a provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development internship programme, which was later disowned by the department amid mounting public outrage.

The advert, which circulated on social media platforms and WhatsApp groups earlier this month, invited applications for agricultural internships at Kgora Farming Centre in Ramabatlama near Mahikeng.

It promised successful candidates a monthly stipend of R5,800 and indicated that applications would close at the end of January.

Several youths said they applied, believing the advert to be legitimate, only to later be informed that the programme had reached capacity, with claims emerging that many of the selected candidates were from outside the province.

The alleged exclusion of local applicants triggered anger among unemployed graduates and youth organisations, who accused the department of sidelining young people from North West in favour of candidates from other provinces.

Lesego Tlhagale ,29, from Dibate near Mahikeng said the situation reflected a broader pattern of marginalisation of local youth.

“We are angry and disappointed. Opportunities in this province are given to outsiders while we remain unemployed. Why would the department recruit young people from other provinces when North West has so many qualified unemployed graduates?” he said.

Tlhagale called on the department to review its recruitment processes, saying the alleged intake was “an insult to the youth of Bokone Bophirima.

Boitumelo Mafora, a diploma graduate in agricultural science, said she was hopeful when she saw the advert and immediately applied.

“I believed this was finally my chance to gain experience and improve my chances of employment. But later I was told that they had already filled all the available spaces. It is painful to feel overlooked in your own province,” she said.

Other unemployed youths said this was not the first time development programmes in North West were allegedly dominated by people from outside the province, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in government recruitment processes.

However, the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has distanced itself from the advert, branding it fake news.

MEC Madoda Sambatha said the department had not issued the advert and accused those circulating it of spreading misinformation to mobilise support.

“This circulating message about Kgora is not true. There can never be a provincial department that recruits learners from other provinces for a learnership. That would never be approved,” Sambatha said.

He said learnerships were strictly intended for unemployed youth within the province and warned that the spread of false information tarnished the image of the department.

Despite the MEC’s denial, questions remain about the origin of the advert, why it appeared credible enough for applicants to submit applications, and whether any recruitment activity took place at Kgora Farming Centre.

By the weekend, the department had not indicated whether an investigation had been launched to identify the source of the advert or whether affected applicants would receive formal clarification.