RATE IT: Unemployment, service delivery and fighting corruption — What do you think of Ramaphosa’s ‘solutions’?

30 December 2021 - 13:00
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President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced several measures to try to improve the lives of South Africans this year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced several measures to try to improve the lives of South Africans this year.
Image: DWAYNE SENIOR//Bloomberg

As SA prepares to bid farewell to 2021, we look at some of the things government vowed to prioritise. 

This year President Cyril Ramaphosa said several measures have been identified and were aimed at bettering the lives of South Africans. 

The measures ranged from job creation among the youth to service delivery.

Here were Ramaphosa’s proposed solutions to this year’s crises:

Unemployment

In June, during his Youth Day address, Ramaphosa officially launched the SAYouth.mobi online platform.

The platform requires a person to create a profile that will allow them to view opportunities for learning and earning, and receive support through multiple channels. 

“SAYouth.mobi has been zero-rated by all mobile networks so it can be accessed by young people from anywhere in the country at absolutely no cost. This will complement our existing efforts to create physical spaces where young people can go to access information, opportunities and support,” the president said.

He said government had set aside R11bn to promote youth employment and alleviate poverty under the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

Service delivery

In an edition of his weekly newsletter in September, Ramaphosa said an adaptive service delivery model, the District Development Model, would bring development to where it was most needed.

The district-based model is seen as key to close the “disconnect” between government at a national and local level.

“We have set ourselves the challenge of building a capable, ethical state. We remain firmly on course towards professionalising the public service and transforming it into a group of men and women who are able and committed to serving our people and their interests,” said Ramaphosa

“We call on public servants to be part of this process by identifying ways in which we can realise a public service focused on meeting the needs and advancing the interests of citizens.

“Our commitment to building a state that is ethical, capable and, above all developmental, necessitates that civil servants see themselves not merely as state functionaries but as development workers.”

Grants for unemployed

Ramaphosa said there remains significant demand on government to continue with and expand income support measures for those living in poverty. 

“This requires better alignment and linkages between social security policies and labour market policies so beneficiaries of social support can move more readily into employment,” he said. 

“Subject to long-term affordability, serious consideration should be given to extending further support to the unemployed, and those who are structurally marginalised, possibly in the form of an extension of the Covid-19 grant and targeted food-poverty-line support. We should also consider a combination of all this with mass employment for people.”

Fighting corruption

Ramaphosa said government has made progress in tackling corruption and bringing culprits to book.

He was reacting to the results of an Afrobarometer survey showing that corruption had worsened during his tenure.

Ramaphosa said the findings “reflected the lived experiences of many South Africans who continue to encounter corruption in different forms”.

He said significant work has been done to strengthen institutions involved in fighting corruption. 

“While there is much more work to be done to fight corruption, particularly the kind of corruption that impacts directly on people’s lives, there is clear evidence that after years of impunity, progress is being made in bringing those responsible to account.

“As importantly, there is real progress in strengthening the institutions responsible for fighting corruption and other public bodies that have been badly damaged by corruption,” he said.

Covid-19 response

As SA saw an increase in Covid-19 infections amid the Omicron variant, Ramaphosa said the possibility of introducing mandatory vaccinations was on the cards. 

He said government set up a task team that will undertake broad consultations to make vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations.

“The task team will report to the interministerial committee on vaccination chaired by the deputy president. It will make recommendations to cabinet on a fair and sustainable approach to vaccine mandates,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the introduction of such measures was a difficult and complex issue, but was necessary to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

“If we do not address this seriously and as a matter of urgency, we will continue to be vulnerable to new variants and will continue to suffer new waves of infections,” he said


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