Union federation COSATU is urging the government and National Treasury to do more for South Africa’s poor and unemployed in Wednesday’s National Budget.
COSATU spokesperson Matthew Parks emphasised the need to increase the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to align with the food poverty line, and to expand the Presidential Employment Stimulus to reach one million young people by April and two million by November.
“Other public employment programmes must be overhauled to ensure compliance with the minimum wage and to provide meaningful skills and experience that help participants secure jobs or start businesses,” Parks said. He also called on the government to work with social partners to strengthen the UIF and the Compensation Fund for Occupational Injuries and Diseases, and to ensure that SASSA has the necessary resources to protect workers’ rights.
Meanwhile, economist Duma Gqubule sharply criticised the government’s economic leadership, describing its approach as “kindergarten economics”. He warned that claims of economic recovery and stabilising debt obscure a deeper crisis, noting that national debt has doubled in recent years.
“From 2014 to 2024, public sector investment per person fell by 40%. A rising debt ratio is a symptom of a broken economy caused by misguided austerity policies,” Gqubule said, stressing the urgent need for credible economic management to restore public trust.
VOC News
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