Jobs and inequality in spotlight
THE twin issues of jobs and inequality dominated the discussion by members of the legislature’s budget committee of the Provincial Economic Review and Outlook (Pero) delivered by Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger.
In her speech, Wenger said there was a need for the Western Cape to exceed South Africa’s economic growth rate to create jobs and roll back poverty.
Wenger said: “As we move on this pathway from recovery to growth, we need to de-couple our province’s economic growth trajectory from the country’s by delivering break-out economic growth that creates jobs.”
She said the province had to ensure that it prioritised doing more with less and to enable partnerships, especially with the private sector, while at the same time embracing innovation.
She said this would outline a clear pathway for the Western Cape, from recovery to growth, following the devastating Covid-19 pandemic which caused significant job losses in the province.
“Economic growth is a powerful tool for taking people out of poverty, creating opportunities, and thereby improving the quality of life of our residents,” Wenger said.
Following the speech, ANC finance and economic opportunities spokesperson Nomi Nkondlo said the ANC in the province was concerned about “colour-conscious rising unemployment”.
She said that issues of township economy, the taxi industry and the need for inclusive growth are deliberately snubbed by the provincial government.
Budget committee member Galil Brinkhuis (Al Jama-ah) said the Pero ignored the province’s historically underprivileged areas, including areas in Cape Town such as Delft, Hanover Park and Manenberg.
Brinkhuis said that by focusing only on what he called “white privileged areas such as Sea Point and Constantia”, the Pero was of no benefit to poor people in the province.
He said: “The difference between the haves and have-not areas is crystal clear for everyone to see. This trend will be continuing under the DA government.”
Committee chairperson Deidré Baartman (DA) said while there was much to be hopeful about in the province, it was clear that the massive roadblocks placed in the way of provincial growth by the ANC national government had to be overcome.