There’s lots of work to be done to build a better SA – Ramaphosa

As President Cyril Ramaphosa continues to come under fire following a mysterious robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, that saw an undisclosed amount of money stolen, he says more needs to be done to build a better South Africa.

Ramaphosa was addressing the nation in his weekly newsletter “From the Desk of the President.”

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Much of the weekly address focused on Youth Day which will be commemorated on Thursday 16 June, and unemployment in the country.

Ramaphosa reminded South Africans about the bravery and sacrifices of the generation of 1976 in its “struggle against an unjust and illegitimate regime.”

“Today, the youth of South Africa confront new struggles in their quest to lead lives of dignity and in pursuit of a better life. Though we have made substantial progress in broadening opportunities for young people in basic and higher education, millions of young people remain unemployed.”

Ramaphosa said while the latest employment figures give some cause for optimism, with the creation of 370,000 jobs in the first quarter of this year, there is still a huge mountain to climb in governments quest to create more jobs, especially for young people.

“Our foremost priority as government is to achieve higher rates of inclusive growth that generate sustainable jobs at the scale of social need. The economic reforms we are implementing, alongside measures such as industrial policy to support labour-intensive growth sectors, aim to drive growth and expand private sector employment.”

“However, we cannot simply wait for higher growth to create jobs, especially for young people. I hold the view that even as millions of people are unemployed, there is no shortage of work to be done to build a better South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa also added that despite the great setback caused by Covid-19, the economy is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels.

“As government, we will continue to champion programmes and initiatives that limit the impact of unemployment on young people until the private sector starts creating more jobs at scale.”

“This Youth Day, as we recall the struggles of our past, let us remain firmly focused on the work that we are doing – including through our innovative public employment programmes – to build a better future for all the young people of our country,” Ramaphosa said.

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