Lesufi’s jobs: Rather address the root cause of unemployment – Sacci

An ambitious strategy to revitalise the province’s economy was announced at the opening of the Gauteng provincial legislature on Thursday, but a business leader says its success will largely depend on effective cooperation and execution.

Alan Mukoki, CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the issue is not with the “what but the how”, criticising the lack of coherence regarding how these plans will be implemented and the tools required to do so.

Why previous efforts failed

“There’s a lack of root cause analysis regarding why previous plans failed. The basic issue is that without understanding why previous efforts failed, it’s challenging to create a successful plan. If we succeed, it might be more due to luck than effective planning and resource allocation,” he said.

“Unemployment continues to rise and it’s not just about a lack of economic growth. There’s a disconnect between job creation and economic growth and unless the government addresses the root causes of unemployment, we won’t see meaningful progress.

“The focus should be on addressing these fundamental issues, rather than merely making promises about creating jobs.”

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Mukoki said it was imperative for government to ensure true inclusive economic growth. He warned the failure of black businesses and the exclusion of women and black people from the economy will ultimately lead to the country’s failure.

“The transformation we need is the transformation of the entire economy. The failure of black businesses in SA will ultimately be the failure of SA as a whole.

“The failure to include women in business will also lead to the failure of the state. The prosperity of the country and the alleviation of extreme poverty depend on true transformation. Economic policy and transformation must be seen as interconnected,” he said.

Short of detail

Political analyst Thabang Motswaledi from North-West University said while the speech showed a commitment to transparency and accountability, it fell short of detail in economic and social policies.

“The premier could have provided more detailed insights into how certain initiatives will benefit the poorest and most marginalised in Gauteng.

“The transition of Transnet back to the province’s economic hub needs to be explained in terms of its impact on those at the bottom of the economic ladder,” he said.

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“We also heard of job creation efforts like the Nasi iSpani initiative, but there are questions about whether the jobs are permanent, temporary or contractual.”

Ben Mkhabela, provincial chair of the SA Youth Council, called the premier’s address “youthless”.

He criticised the lack of political will to empower young people, accusing the province of lacking meaningful, long-term solutions.