LISTEN | ‘Permanent income grant’: Ramaphosa’s solution for unemployed

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa told his party’s executive to consider a permanent income grant for unemployed people.

“There is a strong case for a permanent form of a targeted income support grant for the unemployed within our fiscal constraints,” he said.

Listen to Ramaphosa's solutions to unemployment and poverty: 

Ramaphosa said the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) should continue discussions about interventions to tackle poverty.

During the release of the party’s January 8 statement, Ramaphosa boasted about what he called one of the ANC’s great achievements to “tackle poverty head-on”, which is that “28-million people rely on social grants”. The general household survey suggests social grants are an important income source for more than 50.2% of families in the country. 

The latest unemployment figures, which do not include those who have given up job hunting, suggest at least 31.9% South Africans are jobless, making the country one of the worst-hit by unemployment in the world. According to Stats SA about 18.2-million people live in extreme poverty. 

Despite the staggering numbers, Ramaphosa told his NEC extreme poverty has been significantly reduced by the R350 social grant. He was speaking at the party’s lekgotla on Monday.

Speaking in parliament last year when he replied to a debate on the pPresidency budget vote, Ramaphosa appealed to the private sector to employ jobless young citizens and to provide them with experience and skills.

Just a week ago, Ramaphosa urged businesses to hire new job seekers without experience.

At last year’s lekgotla Ramaphosa suggested careers that would get the youth employed were agriculture, marine and nautical science, electrical, civil and mechanical technologies.

“If we are able to address the scourge of unemployment, these skills should be promoted”.

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