Pretoria - The Presidency says a recent commentary headlined ‘Ramaphosa’s jobs fantasy’ by Alec Hogg on BizNews.com appears to be based on inaccurate reporting.
In the commentary, Hogg questions government’s job creation targets.
The Presidency on Friday said the commentary does not distinguish between work opportunities created through government's public works programmes and mainstream jobs of the kind created in manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and other economic sectors.
“The commentary misrepresents a statement made by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa at a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on public employment programmes held at Orange Farm on 22 July 2015,” said the Presidency.
The Presidency quoted the Deputy President when he spoke about government’s public employment programmes, saying: “The ruling party has decided that in this administration we are going to make 6 million of these job opportunities available. Already, the number of job opportunities we have created is leading us to the six million, and I am confident that we will reach – and even exceed – it because the experience we have gathered over the past five years has been huge and meaningful”.
The Presidency said at no point did Deputy President Ramaphosa suggest that he was referring to jobs created in the broader economy.
The Deputy President said to employment participants at the Orange Farm project where the meeting was hosted, that they had “raised quite a number of issues, they would like to work more days than they are working now”.
“The Deputy President provided this detail to illustrate how these work opportunities allow different groups of residents to work temporarily on projects that deliver new infrastructure, revamp existing infrastructure or deliver social services.
“This brings income and dignity to the most vulnerable people in our communities and involves citizens directly in the development of social goods and the quality of life in communities,” said the Presidency.
The Presidency said these opportunities come with training and skills development that stand participants in good stead beyond the life of the particular programmes on which they work.
According to the Presidency, Deputy President Ramaphosa said many people see this work not only as a source of income, but as an opportunity to gain experience and gain skills of the world of work.
“… And the many people we spoke to attest to the fact that they are gaining quite a lot of experience that will stand them in good stead when they finally get gainful employment elsewhere,” said the Deputy President.
“The goal of six million work opportunities in public employment programmes is not unrealistic. The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) created over one million work opportunities in the 2014/2015 financial year alone,” said the Presidency. - SAnews.gov.za
