Jobs: IRR agrees with Malema – we need a plan

While it is too soon to expect an uptick in jobs on the strength of the political partnership that is the government of national unity (GNU), 100 days into the GNU is too late for there to not be a plan for jobs.

So says the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) on the new government’s critical challenge of drastically cutting unemployment.

Says IRR campaign manager Makone Maja: “The recent criticisms of the GNU by Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema are apposite and, as things stand, are a valid judgement of the government’s leadership on the jobs front. Measurable targets and goals are required to give credible hope to the many millions of idle workers in this country who are the real face of South Africa’s high employment rate.

“Poll after poll confirms that South Africans consider unemployment the number one issue facing the country. The latest polling data from the Social Research Foundation (SRF) illustrates this problem comprehensively.”

According to the SRF’s fourth-quarter survey, which was conducted in September 2024, 27% of those with no formal education and 22% of those with grade 7 level education ranked unemployment as a top issue that must be addressed by the government. Jobs and employment were similarly placed as the number one issue by 31% of respondents who earn less than R2 000 per month.

Job creation was also just as much of a concern among those who are typically excluded from the official unemployment rate but register under the expanded definition of unemployment, 26% of whom pointed to solving unemployment as a top government priority.

This data is consistent with Afrobarometer’s 2020 survey, in which 66% of South Africans indicated that they “would prefer an economy with low wages and low unemployment”, and the nearly 80% who agreed that they would rather be in a low-paying job than without work at all. The President and his cabinet must factor these insights into their growth strategy.

Says Maja: “The President should consider the IRR’s latest report, the sixth in the Blueprint for Growth series, Generating Jobs and Skills for Prosperity, which outlines the requisite labour reforms that could lead to the economy growing at 7% per annum, doubling in size and creating millions of jobs, especially for low-skilled and low-earning workers. Such reforms would help them on to the ladder of economic inclusion and give them the chance to improve their skill level and earning potential while simultaneously empowering them to fend for themselves and their families.”

Maja concludes: “The GNU has inspired a renewed sense of hope and optimism in the country and temporarily alleviated some of the economic pressure, as shown in the improvement of the rand. However, a clear, detailed plan and a commitment to following through on it is urgently needed to provide relief on the number one issue confronting the people of our country. We will be sharing our latest Blueprint for Growth report (read it here) with relevant cabinet members in the spirit of constructively contributing ideas on growing the economy and capitalising on early GNU gains.”

Media contact: Makone Maja, IRR Campaign Manager Tel: 079 418 6676 Email: makone@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za