Ebrahim January is a 22-year-old bricklayer from Mitchells Plain.
He often has to travel around the city, job hunting at different construction sites.
But on Tuesday finding a job will be easier.
He will be among 100,000 job seekers who will get free rides on the City of Cape Town’s MyCiTi buses.
Mayor Patricia de Lille launched the project on Tuesday by travelling with a handful of job seekers between Mitchells Plain and the Civic Centre MyCiTi station.
De Lille’s government will pay R6.6-million to subsidise the trips.
“Unemployment in South Africa is a huge challenge and Cape Town is not immune to this problem. We may have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 19%, but that is still too high,” De Lille told the job seekers.
De Lille said the city was providing the job seekers with a free myconnect card with two free journeys every week.
“As this caring city we recognise our role in ensuring that disadvantaged residents have opportunities and are not pushed further into poverty,” said De Lille.
De Lille unveiled the plan for the free rides in May during the tabling of the city’s draft budget.
January said the free rides would help him to attend training courses.
“It is a big deal, this is a great relief.”
The Times…
