The IFP wants South Africans to be prioritised in the job market to fight the country’s high unemployment.
Speaking at the Five Roses Mofolo Ground in Soweto yesterday, where the party launched its Gauteng manifesto ahead of the November 1 local government elections, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa told supporters that South Africans come first when it comes to jobs, housing and social services.
”We are not xenophobic and we are against anyone who discriminates unfairly and uses violence against foreign nationals, but we are not apologetic that South Africans must always come first,” he said.
Hlabisa said Statistics SA revealed earlier this year that the official unemployment rate in Gauteng stood at 33.7%, which is the third highest in the country.
”This can be changed. You can trust the IFP to give the people of Gauteng a hand up. We believe in self-help and self-reliance, and equipping people to stand on their own feet. The IFP champions opportunities for young people, women and people with disabilities. The IFP will put Gauteng to work,” he explained.
According to Hlabisa, the IFP will invest in local economic development and the township economy to create job opportunities.
In the IFP’s Gauteng manifesto, the party identified unemployment, poverty, and inequality as the biggest challenges affecting economic development in municipalities.
”We want to optimise opportunities for self-help and self-reliance. In this regard, the IFP will prioritise job creation in all municipal investment projects, encourage municipal entities to invest and source from local businesses,” reads the manifesto.
It also promises to prioritise prompt issuing of operating-license permits and funding applications for local entrepreneurs, provide increased access to information and communications technology, including Wi-Fi for township businesses, and focus on a comprehensive and inclusive expanded public works programme and in-sourcing of essential workers in municipalities.
Political Bureau