The DA in Gauteng has launched an ambitious manifesto aimed at revitalising the province’s economy and creating new opportunities for the province’s residents.
The unveiling of the manifesto comes on the heels of staggering statistics revealed in February. They paint a bleak picture of employment prospects in the region.
Bleak employment prospects in the province
According to data, the unemployment rate in Gauteng has soared to 2,565,000 during the fourth quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year. This with an additional 502,000 discouraged job seekers exacerbating the crisis.
The DA’s Gauteng manifesto launch was held at Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The party’s provincial leader and premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, expressed deep concern over the widespread unemployment in the province.
Msimanga lamented the sight of many young people attending the launch event during business hours. This highlighted the urgency of addressing the unemployment crisis, he said.
Youth unemployment
“It pains me that we can call a meeting during the week and find so many young people attending this meeting instead of being at work. The rate of unemployment in Gauteng is heartbreaking,” remarked Msimanga.
In response to these challenges, the party outlined a comprehensive strategy. The strategy is focused on boosting economic confidence, combating corruption, and streamlining business operations.
He referred to successful models implemented in regions like the Western Cape and DA-governed Midvaal. The party claims that hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created in recent years. Msimanga said the DA aims to replicate this success on a broader scale in Gauteng.
During his state of the province address in February, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi was optimistic about the economy.
He said Gauteng’s economy had significantly outperformed other provinces, surpassing the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo combined.
The premier also announced that the province’s economy was firmly back on track and ready for further expansion.
“During this past year, Gauteng, as the country’s economic hub, experienced an increase of 96,300 jobs. This is with 31,300 jobs in the last 90 days,” Lesufi said.
ANC has failed, he says
Despite this assurance, the DA believes that the ANC government has failed.
“Gauteng is a growing province with more and more job seekers settling in the province. However, due to low economic growth and a lack of direct investment, unemployment is increasing daily. And more job seekers are becoming discouraged.
“The current Gauteng government tried various job creation schemes which have failed or were beset by corruption. But the DA has shown how jobs are created in the places where it governs,” said the party.
Clean government and safe community
Central to the plan is the promotion of a clean government and a safe community. This includes modernised infrastructure to facilitate business and economic growth. The DA hopes to transform Gauteng into a beacon of opportunity for job seekers and businesses. This by fostering an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and investment,
Furthermore, the plan emphasises the importance of efficient resource allocation. Savings will be generated from the rationalisation of government economic entities. These will be reinvested into establishing a venture capital fund for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Strengthening partnerships between the provincial government and the private sector is also prioritised. This will be aimed at stimulating economic growth and create more job opportunities.
Skills empowerment
The DA’s strategy includes initiatives to equip individuals with necessary skills in a rapidly evolving job market. This involves restructuring the school curriculum to focus on technology and relevant skills. Also implementing mentorship programmes to support job seekers, and further education opportunities.
“We want to make sure that there is an accessible and transparent government for all the people in Gauteng,” Msimanga affirmed.
