With 1 August set as the date on which sky-high tariffs will be imposed on South African exports to the US, anxiety levels are high in the Eastern Cape - especially in the automotive industry, one of the largest employers in the province. Labour union Numsa and the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber have urged the government to introduce urgent reforms to salvage what is left.

With 1 August set as the date on which sky-high tariffs will be imposed on South African exports to the US, anxiety levels are high in the Eastern Cape - especially in the automotive industry, one of the largest employers in the province. Labour union Numsa and the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber have urged the government to introduce urgent reforms to salvage what is left.

On Wednesday, 30 July, with 48 hours to go to the deadline marking the end of negotiations on tariffs imposed on South Africa, the automotive industry and workers were waiting for news.

But none came.

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President's letter

In his open letter published on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa, while praising the move by BMW to manufacture the company's new X3 plug-in hybrid at Rosslyn in Tshwane, said nothing about the looming jobs crisis in the Eastern Cape except for the following: "The industry is under growing pressure. The introduction of stricter vehicle emissions regulations in leading export destinations such as the European Union, as well as new tariffs from the United States, are expected to have a significant impact on the sector."

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz, the company identified as posing the most risk of a...