In a bid to attract the youth to vote ANC in the May 2024 elections, party president Cyril Ramaphosa has dangled a carrot, promising 2.5 million job opportunities to the “Tintswalos” in the next five years.
IN A BID to attract the youth to vote ANC in the May 2024 elections, party president Cyril Ramaphosa has dangled a carrot, promising 2.5 million job opportunities to the “Tintswalos” in the next five years.
Ramaphosa also affirmed that the governing party would increase the R350 social relief of distress grant for the eight million unemployed beneficiaries, who are mostly young people.
Tintswalo is Ramaphosa’s fictitious born-free girl child who was born on April 27, 1994, who grew up in an ANC government-funded RDP home, received a child grant, went to a no-fee school, received free public health care, studied at university/TVET through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and now had a career and her own family.
Tintswalo was introduced during Ramaphosa’s final State of the Nation address in February, where he acknowledged that there were many young people who struggled to find work and were relying on the R350 unemployment grant.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has committed to spending R33 billion for the 2024/25 financial year on the R350 grant, disbursing it to over eight million beneficiaries around the country.
“R350 will go on and the Minister of Finance together with the Minister of Social Development are looking into how they can increase the amount. Yes, it’s like that,” Ramaphosa said at the manifesto launch.
Creating jobs was one of the ANC’s plans to revive the country in the next five years. The manifesto vowed to focus on six areas to ensure economic development and growth.
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Some of the key priorities included building industries to achieve an inclusive economy, tackling the high cost of living, investing in people, defending democracy, advancing freedom, and building a better Africa and World.
Ramaphosa said there would be almost three million job opportunities for the youth, especially unemployed graduates, by “creating and sustaining 2.5 million work opportunities by delivering public goods and services in communities”.
The manifesto listed several promises to voters should they vote in favour of the ruling party at the polls.
In addition, Ramaphosa said they will increase support for small businesses, introduce a re-industrialisation programme, and co-operatives, especially in townships and villages.
Ramaphosa promised that this would provide an extra one million work opportunities.
“We will increase support for small enterprises, entrepreneurs, and co-operatives, especially in townships and villages through our public procurement programmes with set-asides for women and youth, and our small business support programmes so that these businesses can provide one million work opportunities,” he said.
The president said they will continue to promote and monitor employment equity to ensure that black people, women, and persons with disabilities were represented in the public and private sectors.
On tackling the high cost living issue, Ramaphosa said they will take steps to make life more affordable for workers, the unemployed, and the middle class by addressing key needs like food, housing, health care, energy and wages.
