By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has announced government plans to create more than 20,000 job opportunities for unemployed youth in the province.
Mokgosi made the announcement during the opening address for the seventh administration, held in the Mmabatho.
The 38-seater legislature saw the inclusion of two new parties, the Action SA and the MK Party. The ANC, DA, EFF, and FF Plus, which were part of the previous term, managed to get seats in the seventh administration.
Last year, the province recorded an unemployment rate exceeding 53%, the highest in the country.
Mokgosi in his address, emphasised the provincial government’s commitment to addressing this crisis and improving the local economy.
He announced that the legal processes for the roll-out of a labor activation program are nearing completion. This programme aims to create 27,000 work opportunities and training initiatives for the unemployed, particularly targeting the youth. This significant initiative is a key part of the provincial government’s strategy to reduce unemployment and stimulate economic growth.
In his budget vote and policy speech on Tuesday, Mokgosi referred to the grim statistics highlighted by a recent Labour Survey. These include a 53% unemployment rate under the expanded definition. It underscores the severity of the problem, particularly impacting women and youth.
“The indignity of unemployment and poverty can arguably be blamed for the multi-layered social challenges. These are crime, drug, and substance abuse, as well as gender-based violence and femicide, among others,” said Mokgosi.
In addition, Mokgosi revealed that his office has signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Skills Fund. This agreement will finance critical interventions across all provincial departments, ensuring that young people are employed in vital positions.
The Department of Public Works and Roads, Social Development, Human Settlements, and Arts, Culture, Sports, and Recreation will implement training and skills opportunities benefiting over 1,200 young people.
The provincial government previously raised concerns over lack of opportunities and employment for youth. Former Acting Premier Nono Maloyi had condemned officials for failing to utilise available resources to improve the province’s economic situation, calling for increased investment to drive economic growth.
FF Plus Caucus Leader Michal Groenewald welcomed the announcement but emphasised that the government’s role is to create a conducive environment for economic growth, which will naturally lead to job creation.
He criticised the provincial government for outsourcing responsibilities to struggling entities like the North West Development Corporation, which he described as cash cows for connected elites.
“We are actually disappointed because it appears that the office of the premier has no concrete plan in terms of fighting this unemployment that we are faced with as a province. So, the levels of unemployment in the province are unprecedented. We are at 53% yet the premier doesn’t speak to a precise plan of what must happen. One, he speaks about tourism that is collapsing. He doesn’t mention that, among other things, we don’t have proper infrastructure that can attract tourists to come to the province,” says Fanon Moema from EFF.
“The promises are well and good on paper, but this has been the case for the last 30 years. I’m not over excited about what I heard today. Yes, indeed I would like to see these things happening on the ground but my experience and what we have experienced in this province particularly is that this has not come to pass,” says Kgosi Kwena Mangope from ActionSA.
Mokgosi also undertook to prioritize the revival of agricultural initiatives and complete key infrastructure projects. Government will also continue to prioritise collaboration with mining houses, correctional services and private health facilities, to ensure broad-based access to healthcare, he added.