Despite the country facing massive unemployment, the City of Joburg has created over 100 000 jobs in the first half of this year alone!
This week the Country has endured the disturbing news of the continued rise in the national expanded unemployment rate to 37.2% in the second quarter of 2018.
Despite this news, the City of Johannesburg bucked the provincial and national trends and has produced 109 000 new jobs in the first two quarters of 2018 and reduced the expanded unemployment rate from 32.3% to 30.8%. This is according to Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Stats SA earlier this week, which has demonstrated two consecutive quarters of job growth in Johannesburg.
Unfortunately, this growth in Johannesburg has taken place at a time when we must sympathise with the 418 000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed nationally, and 115 000 more in Gauteng over the same period.
The latest jobs statistics for the City show that, steadily, change that creates jobs is taking root in Johannesburg and a greater degree of business confidence is developing.
This has been apparent by the City achieving a record R8.7 Billion in investment in the 2017/18 financial year, exceeding their targets by more than R3 Billion.
Since coming into office, the multi-party government has worked to introduce a number of new initiatives intended to stimulate Joburg’s economy and, in the process, kick-start a period of growth that will lead to sustained growth in jobs.
The City has focussed on the fundamental requirements that produce the requisite environment to foster economic and job growth in Johannesburg. These relate to infrastructure renewal, stability of services, establishing the rule of law and moving towards a professional civil service.
- The City’s focus on renewing its infrastructure and increasing the stability of its services has been an imperative required by business in our City.
- The City’s efforts to establish a responsive, dedicated, accountable and professional civil service within the City, one capable of inspiring confidence within residents and delivering quality services that will help make Johannesburg an attractive investment destination.
- Alongside this, they have committed themselves to fighting crime and making corruption public enemy number one within the City.
- The establishment of the Group Forensics and Investigation Services Unit, has uncovered over 3500 cases in corruption and maladministration involving close to R18 billion. For the first time in the City’s history culprits of wrong doing are facing the consequences.
- The increase of capacity at the JMPD force through the recruitment of the additional 1500 JMPD officers and the launch of Operation Buya Mthetho are restoring confidence in the rule of law.
Operation Buya Mthetho has been pivotal with over 8000 arrests by our law enforcement officials since January. This is the kind of momentum the City needs to sustain if we are indeed to fight against crime and lawlessness and create a conducive environment for economic growth.
- The roll out of Opportunity Centres is beginning to assist budding entrepreneurs with crucial skills and support for growing their businesses so that they in turn can create job opportunities.
The City aims to create 14 Opportunity Centres through Johannesburg – two in every one of the seven regions throughout the City of Johannesburg – by the year 2021.
- The revitalisation of the Inner City is another intervention through which we hope to create more jobs. Last month Council approved the release of an additional 71 properties for mixed-use development. This is on top of the 13 properties released last year.
By attracting investment from property developers and, in turn, turning our Inner City into a construction site, we will create jobs during as well as post-construction. Training opportunities will also be created for 300 young would-be artisans, who would then go on to ply their trade and earn a decent living.
The two consecutive quarters of growth is positive news that the work of the multi-party government is beginning to generate the environment for job growth. It is positive especially to the nearly 900 000 people, many of whom are young people, who need hope of a better future.
“We are very clear, that we still have a mountain to climb in Johannesburg. Many of the challenges we face will take years to undo the damage of decades of government corruption and failure. However, for the first time, Johannesburg is moving in the right direction, generating confidence in our City.
We will work tirelessly to generate further growth in Johannesburg without resting until many more people enjoy the dignity that comes from work.”
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