Ramaphosa’s jobs fantasy – succumbing of the last sane man in Zuma’s looney bin

by Alec Hogg

When one of last sane politicians succumbs to the power virus, what else but hold your head in your hands? On Wednesday, Cyril Ramaphosa, for many the Nurse Ratched in Zuma’s Cuckoo’s Nest, claimed South Africa is on track to “reach and exceed” its target of six million new jobs by 2019.

Perhaps that Good News filter to the Union Buildings is actually a tourniquet. For years now this country has been leaking jobs, not making them. Six million new ones in four years works out to 125,000 a month. So, in each of the next 48 months as many new ones to be created as currently employed in SA’s Big Four banks. Combined.

How will Ramaphosa and his fellows in the Zuma Administration “create” these jobs? Easy, he continued. Extend the public works programme. Seriously? By funding thousands of that single food garden Cyril was so impressed by at Orange Farm? Perhaps by diverting money the ANC intends spending on the $100bn Russian-built nuclear fleet?

A couple days after Ramaphosa’s fantasy was reported as fact, Lonmin announced the end of an other 6,000 jobs at the business. Real ones, Cyril. At one of the companies on whose board you served before jumping back on the gravy train. Perhaps you’ll get the irony. Eisch. The virus is catching.

From Biznews community member Matthews Letlape

I really appreciate you for speaking your mind especially towards the current social and political settings. Good assertion of our political spectrum and I will like to add on that. My comprehension of what is unfolding in South Africa is that the net is closing on those who use fraudulent means to make ends meets. The list is endless but let me quote the following prime examples:

1. Nkandla Debacle
2. Gupta-gate
3. Aurora Saga
4. SABC- Hlaudi Motsweneng who lack matric and earn above his common sense knowledge
5. Prasa Chief Engineer
6. Hawks-17 Million bail-out of Mr Nxasana
7. SA-Russia Nuclear deal while the majority are homeless

It’s really frustrating to live in a country with such unwanted scandals. But I am optimistic that these are only the tip of an iceberg considering that some information is considered classified like Nkandla. What’s next? Only time will answer that question. For me, number 1, is not going to complete his second term.

From Biznews community member Steuart Pennington

The point you make is 100% valid, but I beg you let’s try and avoid playing the man and not the ball – not even hinting at it – at all costs, we risk being lumped together, in van Zyl Slabbert terms, as ‘possessive individualists’, that brand of liberalism and liberals that think ‘they know what’s best for the rest’. Some will even accuse of ‘aversive racism’. Constructive criticism must not be binned because it can be dismissed for an inferior, misplaced, reason.

From Biznews community member Chris Whelan

At WEF Africa 2013 I facilitated a session on ‘job creation in Africa’. WEF had then recently said that by 2030 (2020? Need to check my notes) 220 million new job seekers would be looking for work. Minister Rob Davies was part of the session. The level of hyperbole seemed to know no bounds. Entirely disingenuous…

Yesterday’s top stories: