Jobs Summit agreement ‘cannot fail’
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant says the Jobs Summit must find ways to retain and create jobs and identify the challenges and opportunities that each social partner can contribute towards in this regard.
“This summit has raised huge expectations among our people and we dare not fail them.
“It is expected of us to come up with practical solutions and initiatives that are capable of being implemented immediately,” Oliphant said, addressing the high-level summit convened by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Midrand.
“Our task as South Africans is to seize this moment of hope and renewal and to work together to meet the goal of increasing employment in line with the National Development Plan, the country’s 2030 vision.
“I am optimistic that all of us, especially the youth, will use this opportunity to share their ideas as to how they think we can better address the unemployment challenge.”
Oliphant said the two-day summit was a platform to address the plethora of challenges facing South Africa.
“In the first State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa made the commitment to convene a jobs summit to address the issue of unemployment in our country. Today is the moment of truth, as others would call it,” she said.
“It is important to note that there is greater optimism and confidence in our country’s economy and its trajectory these days.
“However, unemployment must be tackled decisively and radically in order for us to see a positive change.
“The convening of this Jobs Summit is but one of the measures to address this matter and the plight of our young people.”
The opposition National Freedom Party has rejected the summit, which was convened under the auspices of the National Economic Development and Labour Council.
South Africa is grappling with stubbornly high unemployment, currently at 27.2% of the labour force. – ANA
Our task as South Africans is to seize this moment of hope and renewal and to work together to meet the goal of increasing employment in line with the National Development Plan, the country’s 2030 vision.
Mildred Oliphant
Minister of Labour