Karima Brown
10 November 2009
Johannesburg — NEARLY 224000 job opportunities have been created since April, according to Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge , but the poor are still being overwhelmed by the jobs bloodbath, with nearly 1-million jobs having been shed so far this year.
Yesterday, Doidge released the expanded public works programme's second-quarter figures as part of a report-back on the progress of the government's programme of action since President Jacob Zuma 's state of the nation address in June .
"According to the latest verified figures tabled, government has thus far created a total of 223568 work opportunities through its expanded public works programme" from April 1 to August 31 .
Describing the latest figures as being on track in achieving targets, Doidge said they indicated a "spirited" increase in work opportunities created during the second quarter compared with 83914 created in the first quarter.
He said the latest figures showed the results of collective efforts to ensure that "line function departments and municipalities" accelerate their creation of work opportunities as well as accurately report such opportunities .
He said the figures were a "solid" foundation to create 4,5-million work opportunities by 2014.
Chris Kirchhoff
But unemployment patterns show the growth in job opportunities remains patchy and short-term, and is failing to dent structural unemployment in the economy. Moreover, several municipalities that drive many of these initiatives are beset with challenges.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is on record over the "slow" pace of job creation and has reprimanded business for being tardy in implementing agreements on the issue.
" We are not meeting the targets. The slow pace is worrying and should serve as a serious wake-up call," Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has said. The labour federation is likely to put the matter on the table at this week's tripartite alliance summit meeting, and is expected to push for a faster roll-out of the public works programme.
"We are going to ask President Zuma to lash those ministers and departments that are not coming to the party, especially if one considers the huge vacancy rate in the public service," Dlamini said.
Addressing the media yesterday after a three-day meeting of the African National Congress's (ANC's) national executive committee, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the committee had considered the issue and expressed concern over the effect of the global recession on job creation targets in SA.
"We need to look at our targets, especially in the context of us losing 1-million jobs. We need to understand that the government alone cannot create jobs," Mantashe said. He said the ANC wanted more partnership on employment creation.
Unemployment and the framework agreement between the government, business and labour are likely to top the agenda at this week's summit meeting of the alliance.
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Ironic after the ANC dropped the Textile duties which resulted in tens of thousands losing their jobs and all because the Chinese made donations to the ANC's coffers.