Johnathan Paoli
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has declared that Workers’ Day should not be celebrated, because more than 11 million people are unemployed people in South Africa.
Steenhuisen delivered his address at the party’s May Day celebrations in Mitchells Plain township, Cape Town on Wednesday and said the ruling party must be held accountable for unemployment figures in the country that are well above 30%.
“According to the expanded unemployment rate, over 11.7 million people now cannot find work in South Africa. So, while Workers’ Day is an international holiday celebrated the world over, this day needs a different name in South Africa. Because of the ANC’s legacy of destroying jobs, today should not be called Workers’ Day. In South Africa, today is Workless Day,” the federal leader said.
Steenhuisen claimed the DA-run Western Cape is the only province in the country where Workers’ Day could be celebrated and that over the past five years, the DA-led province has created eight out of every 10 new jobs in the whole country.
He claimed that the province has created over 360 000 new jobs over a period of one year, but confirmed that more needed to be done.
“While we are making progress here as the ANC-run provinces fall further behind, the DA’s work in the Western Cape is far from done,” Steenhuisen said.
The party’s chief whip Siviwe Gwarube called on supporters to vote for the DA in order to remove the ANC out of national government and said that the ANC-led government has failed to create jobs for many within the country.
“While the rest of the country is facing an unemployment crisis, here in this province, we are providing hope by providing real jobs to all who live in the Western Cape,” Gwarube said.
Meanwhile ActionSA held its Workers’ Day Rally at the Library Gardens in Johannesburg, with party leader Herman Mashaba, Gauteng Premier Candidate Funzi Ngobeni and other party leaders outlined the party’s plans to create jobs and work with trade unions.
Mashaba said that he was honoured to be addressing over 1000 workers in the Johannesburg CBD and that more action was needed in order to restore the rights of workers in the country.
“As City of Johannesburg Mayor, I was the first Mayor to sign a memorandum of understanding with unions to improve working conditions. But since I’ve left office, those gains have been reversed by the ANC and EFF,” Mashaba said.
Tshwane Regional Chairperson and Caucus Leader Jackie Mathabathe emphasised that restoring the dignity of security guards and cleaners was paramount for the party and said that they would ensure that this happens.
“As you know, Herman Mashaba is the father of insourcing,” Mathabathe said.
ActionSA MP Pieter Scribante called out the ruling party and said that the country was fighting for scraps while the ruling party was getting fat.
“For every 100 people looking for new jobs there are only 35 new jobs every year on average. Now I know 35% is a good enough pass rate under the ANC and is good for the ANC but it is not good enough for ActionSA,” Scribante said.
INSIDE POLITICS
