CAPE TOWN -
Job creation was at the centre of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to Parliament on South Africa’s economic recovery plan.
South Africa has over 700 000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and while 90% of those infected have recovered, Ramaphosa said that everyone needs to adjust to the new normal as the coronavirus would be around for some time to come.
More than 2 million people lost their jobs during the second quarter of 2020 as businesses closed, and in response, the government wants to implement a robust health response, social and economic relief, and economic recovery.
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"We have to get people back into jobs and create more employment opportunities.
“The interventions outlined in this plan will achieve efficient, secure and reliable energy supply in the next two years; create and support over 800 000 work opportunities and unlock more than R1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next 4 years," said Ramaphosa.
“We have committed R100 billion over the next three years to create jobs through public and social employment as the labour market recovers.
“This starts now, with over 800,000 employment opportunities created in the months ahead,” he said.
The President added that more than 60 000 jobs will be created for labour-intensive maintenance and construction of municipal infrastructure; and 300 000 opportunities for young people to engage as education and school assistants at schools.
In response to an improved healthcare system, he will deploy an additional 6 000 community health workers and nursing assistants with the implementation of the National Health Insurance.
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