News24 reports that according to the Eastern Cape's Department of Social Development, it has no obligation to absorb social work graduates just because it paid for their education.  

This indication came as more than a hundred unemployed social work graduates marched this week to the department's district offices in Mthatha to demand employment. For years, the graduates claimed, the department has been sending young people to universities to study social work, but then failed to employ them. The graduates handed over a memorandum of demands to the OR Tambo social development district office manager and gave her 14 days to respond. According to spokesperson, Mzukisi Solani, the department was too broke to appoint social workers at present because of budget cuts. Solani indicated that the department had indeed given some of the graduates bursaries, followed by contracts as interns, but it had no obligation to employ them. Solani explained that the department gave internship contracts to graduates as a means of providing them with workplace experience so that they were then able to secure employment. But, according to the protesting group's leader, Ayanda Colombile, a temporary contract was a reasonable indication for a future permanent position.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24

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