Dear Minister Gwede Mantashe,

I write this letter as a young South African graduate , out of necessity because many of us speak quietly while living loudly with the consequences of unemployment.

I am an LLB graduate who has spent nearly two years actively searching for employment in both government and the private sector. During this time, I have applied, followed up, up-skilled, and remained willing to start from the bottom internships, learnerships, contract roles , anything that allows me to work, learn, and contribute meaningfully.

Contrary to the popular narrative, many unemployed graduates are not lazy, entitled, or waiting for jobs to be handed to them. We are applying. We are knocking. We are showing up often without responses, feedback, or opportunity. What we lack is not willingness, but access.

South Africa cannot afford a generation of educated yet idle youth. Not because we demand entitlement, but because we are capable of service. Many of us want to work in government not for status, but to gain experience, serve the public, and build careers rooted in accountability and contribution.

This letter is not a complaint, it is a request for recognition. A request for systems that open doors, even slightly, to graduates who are ready to work, to learn, and to be molded into competent public servants.

I remain hopeful that leadership at the highest levels continues to consider practical pathways for graduate employment, mentorship, and absorption into meaningful roles within departments and state entities.

Respectfully,
A Concerned South African Graduate