With South Africa’s unemployment rate still rising, ActionSA has demanded that Nomakhosazana Meth, the Minister of Employment and Labour, be fired.
Sunday World obtained a letter from ActionSA MP Alan Beesley to President Cyril Ramaphosa, stating that the rising unemployment rate is causing people to lose hope and dignity.
“We respectfully call on you to exercise your constitutional prerogative in terms of Section 91[2] of the constitution and relieve minister Meth of her duties,” said Beesley in the letter.
He expressed concern over the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2025, which shows that unemployment increased by 1% to 32.9%.
This indicates that the quarter saw at least 291 000 job losses.
Lack of urgency and capacity
Beesley also referred to the statistics showing that 45.1% of young South Africans between the ages of 15 and 34 are not in education, employment, or trading.
“Despite this, the Department of Employment and Labour, under the leadership of minister Nomakhosazana Meth, has failed to present or implement a coherent strategy to arrest job losses, support the informal sector, or address the barriers young people face entering the workforce.
“It is our considered view that, almost a year into her tenure, the minister has not demonstrated the urgency, capacity, or leadership required to respond to this economic and social emergency.
“South Africa’s working-age population cannot afford further stagnation under ineffective stewardship,” said Beesley.
He further stated that when ActionSA asked Meth in November if she would resign if the unemployment rate continued to worsen, she was confident in saying she would not.
Government described as uncaring
According to Beesley, this attitude demonstrated the government’s comfort with a failing state where ordinary people would bear the consequences.
He described the behaviour as disturbing and the government as “uncaring” about the unemployment crisis facing the country.
“It is clear that the absence of meaningful performance management for GNU [government of national unity] ministers has created a culture where failure carries zero consequence.
“In any functional democracy, such dismal figures amid worsening socio-economic conditions would compel a minister to take responsibility and step down.
“Sadly, this standard of accountability is sorely lacking in South Africa and glaringly absent in the Ramaphosa-led administrations.”
