Job opportunities’ deceit

Kabelo Khumalo’s article refers (“The great Gauteng jobs scam: millions of rand paid for just 142 jobs”, February 13). The reality is that our department of employment & labour lurches from one disastrous scheme to the next.

Our government talks of “job opportunities”, which in reality means a few days, or possibly months of work. These “opportunities ” sometimes cost tens of thousands of rand to “create ”.

The department was just about to approve a R5bn theft conjured up by the chair of Productivity SA and approved by the commissioner of the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the department’s director-general.

It was only after this duplicity was exposed that the minister suddenly pretended maybe it was not a good idea. Now we are told there might have been some bribery involved as well. Soon after the R5bn scandal we see our genius minister proposing a R15bn “job opportunities” scheme.

None of these systems of “job creation” are sustainable or even possible. The recipient of the funds had no ability to create even a single job.

Hopefully the multiparty grouping under the leadership of the DA will be able to explain to government departments their duty is not to create jobs; it is to create an environment conducive to job creation by the private sector.

Michael Bagraim, MP

DA shadow deputy employment & labour minister

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