Gauteng residents suffering far from over as greylisting impacts unemployment, private investment

6 March 2023

Gauteng residents continue to suffer drastically as they face sharp increases in the price of food, electricity, as well as continued rolling blackouts, high levels of crime and corruption. To add insult to injury South Africa has now also been greylisted.

In Gauteng alone, there are 2 523 000 unemployed residents, while there are 3 589 000 not economically active residents and 599 000 discouraged work seekers. Our unemployment rate has gone up slightly for the fourth quarter of 2022.

Our unemployment rate looks set to increase and there is no government intervention to improve the current situation.

South Africa has been greylisted by global financial crime watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Some of the other countries included on the greylist are:

- Syria
- Yemen
- Nigeria
- Mali
- Mozambique

Earlier this year, we raised concerns about corruption in the public sector. According to the report by Corruption Watch of 2022: Analysis of Corruption Trends (ACT), indicates that in the public sector in Gauteng corruption was reported in the following categories areas:

- 27% - Bribery/Extortion
- 21%- Abuse of power
- 19%- Fraud
- 18%- Dereliction of duty
- 15%- Misappropriation of resources

Given our current greylisting, it will become more difficult for our national and provincial governments to attract investors and secure loans to help grow our economy.

The DA will continue to work on exposing criminal acts such as fraud, bribery and abuse of power that directly impact our residents in the province. We will keep demanding that all government officials found guilty of corrupt activities face the full might of the law. It is clear that the current government is incapable of clamping down on corruption and maladministration, mismanagement of funds. A DA government will ensure that we act immediately on allegations of corruption and bribery in the public sector.

Issued by Nicola Du Plessis, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Economic Development, 6 March 2023