Gauteng makes progress in job creation: Mokonyane

In all 140,868 jobs, out of the annual target of 227,521, had been created by the end of September this year, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Friday.

She was presenting her provincial political report for the first and second quarter to the legislature in Johannesburg.

Mokonyane said of the jobs created, 3668 were permanent, against an annual target of 26,140, and 33,064 were temporary, against a target of 58,001.

About 104,136 were from the Expanded Public Works Programme, which had an annual target of 143,380.

In line with the national Cabinet lekgotla 12-point plan, more than 70 percent of jobs created emanated from the short-run employment schemes or short term employment creation," Mokonyane said, describing the progress as encouraging,

In July, the national Cabinet lekgotla adopted the "Jobs: Next steps and proposals" plan which spelled priorities for job creation for the rest of the 2011/12 financial year and beyond.

Mokonyane's pronouncements come after Democratic Alliance Gauteng caucus leader Jack Bloom said on Thursday that the number of vacant posts had gone up from 23.9 percent in 2010 to 31.5 percent this financial year.

Mokonyane said job creation priorities were organised according to the national action plans.

"Each of these action plans flagged out challenges in the focus area and spelled out proposed actions geared towards promoting decent work and inclusive growth," she said.

She said the 12 action plans had been customised for the Gauteng provincial government and aligned to the 2011/12 consolidated job creation targets approved by provincial executive council in June 2011.

To drive the electoral mandate of job creation, all provincial sector departments had to make sure there was a common, integrated monitoring approach to all job creation in the province.