The draft National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) and the National Employment Policy (NEP) are two pivotal instruments to the changing nature of the South African labour market, said Department of Employment and Labour Director-General Thobile Lamati.

The NLMP together with the amended Employment Services (ES) Bill were unveiled in February 2022 to regulate issues of labour migration, while the NEP provide an overarching framework on issues of employment including the NLMP. The NLMP and the ES Bill are currently in Parliament before the legislators, while the draft NEP has been concluded and submitted to the Presidency for a Socio-Economic Impact Analysis. The NEP is to undergo an extensive consultation with various departments and other stakeholders before it is tabled before the Cabinet.

Lamati said Department’s Public Employment Services (PES) Branch has been in the lead in the formulation of these policies.

PES is a Departmental Branch that assist companies and workers to adjust to changing labour market conditions. The branch does this through provision of employer services and work-seeker services, and including the facilitation of subsidies to designated Groups Special Services to promote the employment of Persons with Disabilities.

“The world is facing its greatest crises in recent memory. South Africa is not exempt, and has one of the highest unemployment rates and inequality in the world. There is a severe unemployment challenge which exacerbate inequality and poverty. So as the country, while we focus on elusive high economic growth we need to urgently roll out employment strategies, central to this effort is the Department of Employment and Labour and more specifically, Public Employment Services Branch,” he said.

Lamati was speaking during the opening of the PES strategic planning conference held at Bolivia Lodge Conference Centre in Polokwane. The conference started today and will end on Friday.

He said the problem of unemployment should be resolved by all concerned, “it is for this reason that at last week’s strategic planning session, with the senior management of the Department, I have called for the establishment of a War Room on Employment. The time for silo based interventions is over, and the need for collaboration with partners, to address the problem is paramount”.

The Employment Creation War Room Terms of reference are expected to be defined and adopted by November/December 2022

The Director-General said that despite the positive economic trends that were seen prior did not translate into improvements of the standard of living for the majority of the people.

“So, economic growth is not a panacea for job creation but a key ingredient. We need to accelerate the implementation of our industrial policy. We need to improve our manufacturing output and productivity and thereby improving the contribution of this sector in both the Gross Domestic Product and employment.

“Covid-19, the July unrest and floods in Kwa-Zulu Natal, have both resulted in increases in unemployment across South Africa and amplified the extent of the inequality, with millions depending on social assistance to support their daily livelihoods,” he said

In further addressing unemployment Lamati said Government has announced a number of measures to help with the recovery of the economy and to creating the enabling conditions for growth – which is a prerequisite for job creation - increasing employment will require strategies that will stimulate growth in sectors with the greatest job creation potential and be coupled with large scale public employment interventions.

Said Lamati that these strategies also need to take into account the large number of workers that are engaged in the informal sector.

He said the Department, has been at the forefront of the efforts to cushion work seekers and the unemployed from the devastating effects of unemployment.

According to Lamati as an immediate response the Department has provided much needed relief during the Covid crisis, with more than R60 billion being paid to cushion workers and employers, in the form of the COVID19 TERS benefits, further billions were released for the workers affected by the unrest (WABU) in the form of the WABU benefits.

“I call on the branch and the rest of the Department team to redouble its efforts, as we soldier on to reposition the organization, to lead the war against unemployment. We can no long focus on counting number of work seekers registered on our system. In redoubling our efforts, we need to focus more on the placement of those that are on our database. This will take huge strides from all of us. Building relationships will serve as a corner stone if we want to register success in this area.

“I have no doubt that the resolutions will help us in repositioning the Department to play a Better and More Strategic Role in Unemployment Reduction,” he said.

Issued by Teboho Thejane, Departmental Spokesperson, 27 October 2022