Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa

Media statement 

Friday, 14 June 2019  

As Sunday will be June 16, marking 43 years since the Soweto Uprising, in the month dedicated to Youth, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) calls on management of all departments of health in provinces to find it in their hearts to accommodate young people who are unemployed like Community Service and post-Community Service nurses, many of whom are sitting at home when they are fully qualified and their services are needed by communities. 

The youth constitute majority of unemployed people in South Africa. It is heartbreaking when young people have met all requirements of being employed, like going to school and possess tertiary qualifications for skills like nursing which the country is in dire need of, the doors of employment are locked due to poor HR planning.          

Each year, when student nurses complete their studies, they go through a year of community service as stipulated by the Nursing Act in the country. But upon completion of the community service, which qualifies them as fully-fledged professional nurses, they struggle to get placed in hospitals and clinics. Some of those who are placed get absorbed after many attempts and interventions from higher offices. 

DENOSA is concerned that more and more young people will get demoralized from pursuing a career in nursing when it is infested with chaos and lethargy when it comes to finding them employment, especially when majority of nurses are over the age of 50 years and thus close to retirement. Meanwhile, patient needs health professionals in health facilities as queues are getting longer and longer.      

In provinces like Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State, many post-community service nurses are sitting at home waiting to be placed as they have been funded by government to study and need to pay back with their service as per the contract. 

Doing something drastic and reversing any circular that seeks to release community service nurses to private sector will be the greatest gift to both the country and young nurses of this country especially as June is their month. 

DENOSA would like to wish all the youth of South Africa all the best on their day and urges them to be resilient in the face of the many challenges that they contend with daily. They must comprehend that the struggle of the youth of 1976 was to unlock democracy. The onus now is upon the current youth to wage the struggle on many fronts, like unemployment and quality services and education.   

The Struggle Continues.  

End 

Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) 

For more information, contact:

Cassim Lekhoathi, Acting General Secretary - 082 328 9671 

Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President – 082 328 9635 

Website: www.denosa.org.za

Facebook: DENOSA National Page 

Twitter: @DENOSAORG