‘Why issue tenders to build schools?’ - Mkhwanazi calls for jobs for unemployed youth

As unemployment continues to rise, Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has called on the government to create more jobs by doing some public infrastructure work itself instead of outsourcing it through tenders.

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says the government can help tackle crime and youth unemployment by creating jobs through public infrastructure projects, instead of outsourcing much of the work.

Mkhwanazi, who also heads the National Organised Crime Task Team, was speaking at the Parliamentary Summit on Gangs and Violent Crime on Wednesday.

He said the government should reconsider how it issues tenders for public works projects as a way of creating employment opportunities.

“Today, we’re dealing with corruption in tenders, and we ask ourselves a question: with this high level of unemployment, why is the government issuing tenders for people to build a school?”

Tender corruption is rife in South Africa, often involving the manipulation of procurement processes, inflated prices, conflicts of interest, and the awarding of government contracts to politically connected individuals or companies.

This leads to public funds being diverted from essential services and infrastructure projects.

Mkhwanazi said unemployed graduates could be used to supervise construction projects, while people without formal qualifications could be employed in other roles, including as artisans.

“There are kids who have done engineering. They can supervise the construction of a school. There are people who don’t have that education who can be employed by the government to mix the cement and pull those bricks up as artisans.”

He said the approach could be applied to the construction of schools, clinics, hospitals and police stations, as well as road infrastructure.

“We have a road. We even outsource scraping a gravel road as a government. Why does the government do that? This outsourcing is what breeds this criminality.”

The top cop said excessive outsourcing also contributed to unemployment, leaving people without meaningful opportunities.

“And what then happens? It leaves people unemployed. And when people are unemployed, they sit and do nothing. And someone said, ‘An idle mind is the devil’s playground.’”

His comments come as South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, highlighting the country’s persistent labour market challenges.