The latest quarterly Labour Force Survey indicates that over seven million people in SA are unemployed, with Gauteng accounting for 2.3 million ; the second-highest unemployment rate for a province after the Eastern Cape.
What we are observing is the urbanisation of unemployment and poverty. More people are poor and unemployed in Gauteng than they were in 2014 when premier David Makhura was elected to his first term in office. This high-rate of unemployment is concerning, given that this province has an entity – The Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) – which was intended to help create the correct environment for businesses to operate, but to date, has nothing to show.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the GEP was given R250m to provide relief to businesses, but as of now, this entity has failed to provide any such relief to small businesses in the province. We tend to wonder whether these funds are still available, or whether they have either been used for other spending or, more likely, pocketed for personal purposes.
If we are to curb the high unemployment rate in Gauteng and create the correct environment for investment, then this ANC-led government under the leadership of Makhura should do the following: First, urgently lobby the minister of labour and employment to make it less problematic for companies or firms to hire the millions of unemployed people of Gauteng.
Gauteng should be a special employment zone where it is easy to hire residents. To hire more people in the special economic zones, we need a flexible labour framework. When we talk of SEZ, we must be talking of special employment zones.
The premier should be at the forefront of this lobby and leading the fight to parliament for the benefit of the people of Gauteng. Second, the Gauteng Growth Development Agency (GGDA), together with the national department of trade and industry and competition, should be leading efforts to open export channels of goods produced in Gauteng. The GGDA and the department of economic development should be looking at taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Three, for the economy to grow, we need capital investment, improved technology, entrepreneurship, labour, and producing goods and services that the rest of the world wants to consume. We know we have available labour; but we need to get that labour more skilled.
The best way to gain a skill is to be employed, hence our SEZs should have flexible labour laws.
Four, urgently stabilise the GEP so it is able to assist entrepreneurs that are starting and running businesses in Gauteng, and ensure the R250m partnership fund that is in the hands of the GEP is distributed to assist small businesses in order to kick start the Gauteng economy.
There was a time that people used to believe that under the watch of the Makhura-led ANC government, that things were different. However, we now know that even staff members in his own office have the bravado to engage in corrupt practices that rob the people of Gauteng of important services.
The fish rots from the head, and in Gauteng, corruption starts at the premier’s office. This is a clear indication that Makhura is not fit to govern Gauteng as nothing is being done to create sustainable employment opportunities for unemployed Gauteng residents.
• Gana is member of the provincial legislature and DA Gauteng shadow MEC for economic development
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