Cape Town – The ANC has pledged to generate and maintain 2.5 million work opportunities in the next five years, with a commitment to create 500 000 jobs annually.
These opportunities will involve delivering public goods and services, utilising the Presidential Employment Stimulus, funding civil society through non-profit entities, expanding the National Youth Service in collaboration with the SANDF, and providing work opportunities for unemployed graduates.
OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
PRIORITY 1. Put South Africa to work: Our Jobs Plan
Over the next 5 years, the ANC will implement a Jobs Plan, with the first pillar a massified public employment plan.#PeoplesManifesto#ANCManifestoLaunch https://t.co/5ns7tpTM04
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 24, 2024
The focus will also be on supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly in townships and villages, with a commitment to inclusivity for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised prioritising recent graduates and unemployed doctors, recruiting 10 000 new police members, and offering jobs for IT professionals at the Home Affairs Department.
OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
PRIORITY 2. Build our industries to achieve an inclusive economy
To deepen the transformation of our economy, the ANC will drive industrial growth, innovation and job creation.
We will advance industrialisation with active support for… https://t.co/5ns7tpTM04
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 24, 2024
The struggling economy was attributed to internal and external factors, including state capture, the July 2021 unrest, load shedding, Covid-19, global conflict, and climate change.
“This has tested our democracy, resilience and leadership. Despite these hurdles, we have focused our efforts on mitigating their impact and paving the way for recovery and job creation,” he said.
The ANC aims to collaborate with the private sector to boost employment and will continue providing the R350 social grant, Ramaphosa said.
These promises come in the context of a recent increase in South Africa’s unemployment rate to 32.1%, with notable job losses in various industries.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
