Unemployment, floods and electricity: Ramathuba delivers her first Limpopo Sopa

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba said she is saddened by the continuous loss of jobs in different sectors of the economy. Limpopo’s unemployment rate is currently at 31.9%. Ramathuba said the most burning issue about this gloomy picture was that the majority of those unemployed were youth and women.

Limpopo state of the province address

Ramathuba was speaking during her state of the province address [Sopa] at the Limpopo provincial legislature in Lebowakgomo on Thursday. She became the first female premier of the province in May 2023, after former premier Stan Mathabatha was appointed deputy minister for land reform and rural development. 

“In light of this, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of inclusive growth, job creation, reduction of poverty while tackling the high cost of living as we build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” she said. 

The most urgent task, she said, was to grow Limpopo’s economy so that it creates jobs, reduces poverty and improves the lives of all South Africans.

“As we commemorate the 70 years of the Freedom Charter, we will reflect on this journey, while considering the landscape of our province, a tapestry woven with both challenges and triumphs,” she said. 

Unemployment

Ramathuba said Limpopo now has a population of 6.5 million, which is an increase of 1.2 million since 2011. She said this growth brings an added responsibility for government.

While Limpopo’s contribution to the national GDP has risen from 7.2% to 7.7%, Ramathuba said the province’s unemployment rate is a stark and painful reality.

“The traditional way of doing things has not yielded our desired results, our people, especially the youth, are getting impatient, hence it is time for us to kick the box and start thinking afresh. We have seen our province’s economy showing resilience in sectors like mining, government services, finance, trade, personal services and transport. 

“Yet, we must consciously industrialise, especially in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and construction to advance inclusive growth and job creation. These sectors have the potential to elevate our growth trajectory and create employment opportunities even for our low-skilled labour force,” she said. 

Floods

Ramathuba further touched on the damage caused by the recent floods. She said the floods disrupted economic activities and destroyed roads in the province.

She added that government was working with the department of public works, roads and infrastructure to regravel the roads and rebuild bridges that were damaged.

Electricity

On electricity, the premier said 36% of the Limpopo population had access to electricity in 1996. “As we speak, according to the General Household Survey of 2023, 97.1% of our people have access to electricity, putting Limpopo as number one in our country.” She promised that the remaining 2.9% will have access to electricity in the next two years.

The DA in Limpopo said it was concerned that Limpopo recorded a decline of 16 000 jobs between quarter 3 and quarter 4 of 2024. 

“In quarter 4 of 2024, the province’s unemployment rate stood at 31.9%, while the expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job seekers, reached 46.5% — significantly higher than the national average of 41.9%. This highlights a major challenge with discouraged work-seekers in the province,” Lindy Wilson, DA member of the provincial legislature in Lebowakgomo, said. 

NOW READ: Lesufi loses tight grip on Gauteng as new ANC leadership structure is announced