Cosatu in Northern Cape wants action against unemployment

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Northern Cape has called on the provincial government to tackle the high unemployment rate. According to Statistics South Africa, the Northern Cape recorded the highest increase in unemployment, with a rise of 5.6 percentage points in the last three months of 2020.

The province’s official unemployment rate stands at 28.7% while the expanded rate, which includes those not actively looking for work, is 41.8%.

Cosatu provincial secretary, Orapeleng Moraladi, says the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns are not solely to blame for the rise in unemployment.

“We have an unemployment rate that is high even before the pandemic struck. So, we do expect the premier to outline strategies in as far as reviving the economy of the province.”

Unemployed persons living in the province have described the current unemployment figures as unsustainable.

“We’ve become a burden for society. Now people are going to be applying for the R350 and it’s not sustainable. People want to be able to provide for themselves,” says one community member.

Another person says, “It’s more than 75%. If it wasn’t then you would see residents paying their bills. It’s painful, it’s a serious challenge.”

Cosatu says it expects Northern Cape Premier Dr. Zamani Saul to address the unemployment crisis in his State of the Province Address next week.