By Zukile Majova
In a final push to secure victory in the ANC’s strongest province, President Cyril Ramaphosa is going to the Eastern Cape on 24 April to announce a scheme to create five million jobs countrywide over the next few years.
And it’s no pipe dream either.
The Ramaphosa government is pulling out all available resources – including tapping into the Unemployment Insurance Fund – to finance the job opportunities.
Already in Gauteng, the government has launched a scheme to create 500,000 jobs.
Unemployed graduates will be employed across 24 sectors including agriculture, IT, construction, engineering, wholesale and retail, safety and security, hospitality, social services, textile, transport, furniture manufacturing, education, energy, food and beverage, health and wellness, aviation, insurance, jewellery, hygiene, arts and culture, and the financial sector.
Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi said: “An initial amount of R15-billion has been budgeted for the expanded Labour Activation Programme roll-out, eventually rising to R23.8-billion, funding permitting.”
Unemployed youths and graduates would be employed for 12 to 36 months. Nxesi insists the UIF can support massive job schemes without running out of funds.
“The UIF has proven that it is capable of taking strategic measures when required – such as the Covid-TERS benefits – distributing R64-billion to five million laid-off workers and their families during the pandemic while remaining financially sound,” he said.
After 20 years of the Expanded Public Works Programme, Ramaphosa will be at Buffalo City Stadium in East London on 24 April to dish out his job promises.
This is the same venue that was used by the EFF to launch its Eastern Cape manifesto, where it promised to double all social grants if it got into power.
The Ramaphosa jobs package includes:
- Over two million jobs over three years, with the remaining three million created after that.
- Currently, 333 job-creation projects approved for different provinces.
- The immediate absorption of 704,000 beneficiaries.
- 55,000 jobs have already been announced for Gauteng.
The ANC will need a higher voter turnout in its strongest provinces like the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo to offset any loss of votes in the highly contested provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape.
The party is relying on a high voter turnout in its strongholds to save it from dropping below 50% nationally in the 29 May election.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa in promises mode.
Image source: File
