More work lies ahead for sustainable job creation

13 February 2018

The Democratic Alliance will write to the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Finance, Economic Development and Tourism to schedule an urgent briefing from the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism on its plans for the economy.

Today’s release of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows how much more work still lies ahead for the establishment of a provincial economy which is conducive for the creation of sustainable jobs.

It is easy to celebrate a 4.9% decline in the provincial unemployment rate as an easy victory, but it must be remembered that the Northern Cape still has one of the highest expanded unemployment rates in the country. Only three other provinces, namely the Eastern Cape, the North West and KwaZulu-Natal, have higher expanded unemployment rates than we do.

We need feasible, practical and implementable strategies if we are going to address this sky-high unemployment in a sustainable way and ensure the development of the province. The department’s vague statements on the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and the Economic Growth and Development Fund is not going to get us where we need to go.

Issued by Boitumelo Babuseng, DA Provincial Spokesperson for Economic Development, 13 February 2018