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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is alarmed by the fact that the province experienced the highest number of job losses in the country in the fourth quarter of this past year. The number of people that have jobs has decreased by 54 000 according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey issued today.

This places more misery on households, including some that have lost a breadwinner and are unable to support their families. 2 556 000 Gauteng residents are unemployed, and the unemployment rate stands at 33%.

Jobs are created by a growing economy. Growth comes through investment. But under-investment is a direct result of Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s failure to tackle crime, and persistent power outages, water outages that last weeks, and visible decay such as potholed roads that remain unrepaired. This is compounded by collapsing infrastructure. It is all these factors that chase investors away, and government is responsible.

This collapse is patently visible, and has worsened over the past year, particularly in the CBDs across the province. In the Johannesburg CBD, for instance, many businesses have been forced to close their doors due to the lack of basic services.

These issues are deterring the private sector from investing in the province. British American Tobacco is a typical example of how crime affects investment. They indicated that they are only willing to reinvest in the Gauteng economy if the illicit trade of tobacco falls below 25%.

Only once these issues are dealt with will we see the economy in the province grow and more job opportunities becoming available.

It can be done! A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately coordinate with all law enforcement agencies to address crime in the province. We would also deal with the rampant water and electricity outages in the province.

The DA has demonstrated this. Midvaal municipality is the one local government in the province where there is good governance and an improved quality of life. This in turn has led to increased investment by the private sector and more job opportunities.

Issued by Mike Moriarty MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development