Pretoria – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said unemployment remains one of the most troubling challenges facing his government, a concern he raised this week as the governing African National Congress prepares for its January 8 anniversary celebrations.
Ramaphosa was speaking on Wednesday at Sun City in Rustenburg, North West province, where ANC leaders gathered ahead of the annual event. He told party members and supporters that joblessness, particularly among young people, weighs heavily on him as head of state.
He said discussions with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana during his travel to the event focused on the need to unlock additional funding to support job creation initiatives. Ramaphosa said the government was exploring ways to expand employment opportunities while strengthening cooperation with the private sector.
The president noted that the private sector controls about 75 percent of South Africa’s economy, making its involvement critical in tackling unemployment. He said government efforts were also underway to rebuild and stabilise key state owned entities such as Eskom and Transnet, which he said were central to economic recovery and growth.
His remarks come at a time when unemployment remains a pressing issue across the region, including in Eswatini, where youth joblessness continues to feature prominently in national policy debates and public discourse.
The president’s comments followed public backlash against ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who recently suggested that unemployed people rely too heavily on the state instead of actively seeking work. Speaking during a South African Broadcasting Corporation interview, Mantashe said he had never depended on government to find him a job and argued that citizens should take greater personal initiative in job hunting.
Mantashe called for what he described as a cultural shift, urging people to actively search for vacancies, respond to adverts and apply consistently, rather than waiting for state intervention.
His remarks drew criticism from several quarters, including former Public Protector and MK Party Mpumalanga convenor Busisiwe Mkhwebane. She described the comments as irresponsible, saying they failed to reflect the reality faced by unemployed graduates and those without formal qualifications.
Mkhwebane said many job seekers submit countless applications without success and accused political leaders of being detached from the poverty and unemployment experienced by ordinary families.
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