WATCH | Gwede Mantashe: Government can’t promise to employ everyone

ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe says government cannot solve SA’s high unemployment rate by itself because it is a national crisis. 

Mantashe, who was campaigning in Kimberely, Northern Cape over the weekend, said the ANC government cannot hire every unemployed person in SA. 

“National government must have the responsibility to create an environment for employment,” he said. 

“There are two things you must do if you want to deal with unemployment. Never promise government will employ everybody because it’s not going to happen. Government must create an environment for people to take initiative and promote entrepreneurship.”

According to Mantashe, creating an environment that promotes entrepreneurship leads to job creation opportunities. 

“If you are a small business you employ two people. You have removed two people from unemployment and encourage them and support them. In SA, only 10% of the GDP comes from small and medium enterprises,” said Mantashe.

To date, the number of unemployed people in SA sits at 7.8 million. This does not take into account people who have given up searching for a job. 

The unemployment rate stands at 34.4% in the second quarter from 32.6% in the first quarter. Stats SA said this is the highest since the quarterly labour force survey started in 2008.

At the launch of the ANC's election manifesto last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed job creation will be the party’s priority should it be voted in to run municipalities, and pledged his party would do away with labour brokers in delivering “essential local government functions”.

Ramaphosa said the ANC would prioritise creating job opportunities for the youth who were entering the work space for the first time “at a much faster rate” than before.

“It is our intention to ensure skills development programmes are more closely aligned to the job opportunities and economic development programmes in communities,” said Ramaphosa.