Cape Town — Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, said he will make good on his promise to create 2 million new jobs for struggling South Africans in the next five years.
Steenhuisen was speaking at the party’s economic policy plan on Friday as the party prepares its plan ahead of the upcoming general elections on 29 May. The key issue Steenhuisen addressed was the country’s high unemployment rate, and he lamented the fact that there are more than 10 million people currently unemployed as a result of the “ANC-made disaster”, TimesLIVE reported.
“It is because of the deliberate choices of the men and women inside the ANC that 309,000 manufacturing jobs were destroyed over the past 16 years, and that South Africa’s tax base has not only shrunk but also bears one of the highest tax burdens in the world, with a tax-to-GDP ratio of 25.5%.” Steenhuisen said.
“That South Africa today has one of the highest unemployment rates in the entire world, is an entirely man-made disaster. It is a disaster designed and executed at the hands of the men and women in the ANC,” – @jsteenhuisen
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) April 26, 2024
With unemployment currently standing at 32.1% – among the highest in the world – with youth unemployment at 70%, which the Steenhuisen said was “abnormal”.
Steenhuisen vowed, through the party’s new policy, that the DA would turn things around and that the new policy would help fulfill the party’s promise to create two million new jobs, paving the way for a new economy.
“It is all built on getting the right people into government so we can make better choices. The policy sets out how we will improve the ease of doing business, which alone will unlock between 250 000 and 400 000 new jobs. Through making better fiscal choices we will generate another 250 000 to 500 000 new jobs.” he said.
He added that, through through new reforming labour laws, new youth opportunity certificates and expanding worker representation will also generate new job opportunites.
“Add to this the better choices we will make on industrial policy that will generate between 250,000 and 500,000 new jobs, and better choices on trade policy which will add another 100-000 to 150,000 jobs.” he added.
“Coupled with making better choices on collective bargaining to expand representation and exempt small, medium and micro enterprises from agreements they cannot afford, this will ignite the creation of a further 500 000 to 1 000 000 new jobs,” – @jsteenhuisen
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) April 26, 2024
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@jsteenhuisen
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
