The DA’s Central Commitment to South Africa

Dear Editor

The recent growth in employment, while welcome, is simply not good enough. As per our campaign promise, we believe that we can create 2 million new jobs in the next five years. This translates to 100 000 new jobs created every quarter – more than double the current rate. This is the scale of the challenge we face, and this is what our country desperately needs to overcome.

Our view is clear: the bottom line for the DA is an economy that grows and creates jobs. That is why the DA in government has made the deliberate choice to view every ministry and deputy ministry we oversee through the prism of growth and jobs.

Today’s release by StatsSA on the country’s second-quarter employment statistics underscores the urgent action required. Since March, our economy has added 42 000 jobs, resulting in a 0.4% decrease in unemployment from the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the jobs created over the last three months, this pace is far too slow to address the scale of our unemployment crisis.

Addressing unemployment remains the DA’s central focus.

To realise this, we will continue to advocate for:

• Reviewing onerous labour laws that hinder investment without offering meaningful protection to workers;
• Easing the cost of doing business, as South Africa remains one of the least competitive economies
• Enforcing strict financial discipline to cut waste and redirect resources to vital services; and
• Creating an affordable economy that protects the vulnerable while encouraging a culture of saving and investment among middle-class South Africans.

Meaningful progress will require urgent and bold reforms, but we remain committed to the task at hand. For the DA, it’s about growing the economy and creating jobs—nothing less will do.

Regards

Michael Bagraim MP
DA Spokesperson on Employment and Labour