Economic growth through job creation the way to go

Durban — Economic productivity, job creation, crime and corruption, and creating a more equal society are what the political party, the Allied Movement for Change (AM4C) hopes to tackle if the party is successful at securing enough seats in the elections on May 29.

Speaking at a press briefing in Durban on Tuesday, AM4C presidential candidate Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam said the 2024 elections come at a difficult time for South Africa’s citizens.

Emam said despite some successes, the young democracy is at risk of manufactured dysfunction.

Emam said low economic growth, the energy crisis, high unemployment, high levels of crime and corruption, state capture, ailing infrastructure and health services, the near collapse of state-owned entities, poor governance, high levels of homelessness and lack of skills among citizens of working age, are national crises, exacerbated by social and economic exclusion and the poor quality of education.

Allied Movement For Change leader Ahmed Munzoor Emam Shaik. Picture: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers.

“We are therefore regarded as one of the most unequal societies globally.

“The fact that the government is the largest employer in the South African economy is an indicator of the unemployment crisis in our country.

“However, much must be done in the short to medium term to re-imagine the way we think about economic productivity.

“The AM4C is focusing on four key areas; economic growth through job creation, crime and corruption, creating a more equal society and ensuring that the wealth of the country is being returned to the people of the country,” said Emam.

On the number of crimes in South Africa, Emam stated that the AM4C aims to give greater power to the police force with the Defence Force to be able to eradicate acts of criminality and clean the streets of gangsterism. Emam lobbied for the recruitment of police to be in line with national population increases to ensure the men and women in blue are not stretched beyond their capacity.

At the briefing in Durban, the AM4C awarded 10 students who participated in the Empire Institution programme. These students qualified for the youth empowerment programme.

On Monday, students also graduated from a beauty therapy course as a social upliftment project by AM4C in association with an internationally accredited institution.

The former member of the National Freedom Party (NFP) and former president of the NFP women’s league, Sindi Maphumulo-Mashinini, was announced as the AM4C KwaZulu-Natal premier candidate.

The premier candidate for the Western Cape is Faizal Sayed.