Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s office has rejected claims by the DA that the 31% unemployment rate in the province was due to the government’s alleged failure to provide jobs.
On Wednesday, Makashule Gana, the DA’s provincial spokesperson on economic development, said Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke’s revelation of Gauteng’s rate of 31% was a clear indication that the province was “moving backwards, instead of forward”.
“The Gauteng provincial government has failed to create employment opportunities for our people, particularly the youth. Premier David Makhura is constantly talking about creating work opportunities for people in Gauteng, but the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) results clearly indicate that this strategy is not working,” Gana said.
He said for the 2018/2019 financial year, the premier’s office allegedly failed to meet the target it set for ensuring that the economically excluded youth were assisted in finding jobs.
“In addition, the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) also failed to assist 75 youths through the Youth Accelerator Programme during the first financial quarter of 2019. Programmes like the one run by the premier’s office and GEP are important as they play a pivotal role in ensuring that the unemployedare given skills and training."