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Gwede Mantashe’s blunt comments about poor and unemployed South Africans could further undermine the ANC heading into the upcoming local government elections this year.<\/p>\n
That is the view of political experts, with others warning that the remarks indicate that South Africans \u201cmust choose wisely in the next local government elections\u201d.<\/p>\n
Political commentators, labour organisations, and opposition parties have all criticised the remarks made by Mantashe, where he stated that South Africans have become too dependent on the government for everything they seek \u201cwhile they sit in the sun\u201d.<\/p>\n
The ANC national chairperson further stated that South Africans are not actively looking for jobs and expect the government to find them employment.<\/p>\n
When asked about the public’s reaction to this statement, Mantashe\u2019s office said the minister is busy with the ANC’s January 8 celebrations and might not be in a position to comment. An ANC leader defended Mantashe, stating that the overall message was not intended to speak negatively about South Africans.<\/p>\n
But South Africans took to social media to criticise the remarks. Senzo Ndlazi posted, \u201cHe is crazy. I have seen where a post will be advertised and will get more than 5,000 applications just for one post.\u201d Bra Tshidi said, \u201cTotal insult to the unemployed and poor while they swim in unexplained wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
South African Federation of Trade Union leader Zwelinzima Vavi said, \u201cMantashe is a typical example of the saying \u2014 me first, to hell with everyone else. He has truly arrived with his family. He is on top of the roof and is now kicking the ladder.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is so insensitive, and his remarks amount to spitting in the face of the unemployed, thanks to the dismally failing economic policies his government has pursued for three decades, often to please the IMF and the World Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said, \u201cThe remarks were unfortunate, reckless, and provide South Africans with a chance to see Minister Mantashe for who he truly is: a politician who went into politics to serve his own personal interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope these remarks serve as a wake-up call for South Africans, particularly the majority who are not exercising their voting rights and power. The ANC government is not the future of South Africa. They have misled and betrayed us for the last 31 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Political commentator Makhosini Mgitywa said the minister should not have spoken in such a manner. \u201cThere\u2019s everything wrong when that is said by a minister. It suggests that there are jobs available and it is only jobseekers who aren’t coming to the party. That’s both insensitive and pedestrian. We all see thousands of young people in long queues to apply for a few dozen jobs that come up from time to time.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople actively looking for jobs cannot create non-existent jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Lumkile Mondi, an economist and senior lecturer at Wits University, said in an interview this reflects how alienated Mantashe is from the masses of South Africa, and this is cheap coming from the minister. \u201cIt is the ANC government, due to the political choices that they made, which created this dependency.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said such a statement could undermine the ANC, and even worse, as the party battles to deliver services. \u201cThis statement tells people to choose wisely, especially heading into the local government elections. It tells people to please make the right choices in ensuring that you have a government that makes things work.\u201d<\/p>\n
An ANC member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the point of Mantashe\u2019s message had been missed. \u201cHe is elderly, and as he approaches retirement, he is likely to express himself in such terms. The overall message of that interview was that the ANC has delivered in terms of houses, water, and electricity; it has delivered more than some governments in the works.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile there might be an issue with the comments being perceived as arrogant, we cannot run away from the fact that, for instance, unemployment is a moving target with more young people coming out of university every year. So how can we deal with that? Young people should start exploring social entrepreneurship and starting businesses to thrive,\u201d said the ANC leader in KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n
But another member in the youth structures said the comments are irresponsible. \u201cIt is the government\u2019s responsibility to foster job creation by building state capacity and creating an environment conducive to investment and entrepreneurship. South African youth are not lazy or simply waiting for handouts; they are desperate for opportunities, and many are actively seeking work despite the odds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe claim that young people \u201cdon\u2019t look for jobs themselves\u201d is not backed by evidence. In fact, recent incidents prove the opposite. For example, when the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health opened applications for data-capturer posts, over 36,000 candidates tried to log in for an online assessment.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch remarks risk alienating young voters and unemployed citizens by suggesting their struggles are of their own making. We\u2019ve already seen pushback on social media, with many calling the comments out of touch with the daily hardships faced by millions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis backlash should be a wake-up call. It highlights the disconnect that can exist between some senior leaders and the youth on the ground,\u201d the member concluded.<\/p>\n
THE MERCURY<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gwede Mantashe’s blunt comments about poor and unemployed South Africans could further undermine the ANC heading into the upcoming local government elections this year. That is the view of political experts, with others warning that the remarks indicate that South Africans \u201cmust choose wisely in the next local government elections\u201d. Political commentators, labour organisations, and opposition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":267887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[2475,1056,20034,1490,18437,496,6308,3117,2487,5547],"class_list":["post-268702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics","tag-anc","tag-backlash","tag-basking","tag-elections","tag-mantashes","tag-remarks","tag-spark","tag-sun","tag-support","tag-threatening"],"yoast_head":"\n