Current plans for large-scale infrastructure developments in South Africa, such as electricity plants, rail and road upgrades and water management schemes, will sustain between 50 000 and 100 000 jobs in construction up to 2015, President Jacob Zuma told business leaders in Johannesburg on Monday.

But in the current difficult economic circumstances Zuma said it was necessary for the public and private sectors to “work harder and more creatively” to alleviate the impact of the slowdown in the global economy.

“We already feel the impact through the slowdown in manufacturing and mining in the past few months, causing job losses.”

The new regulations under the Preferential Procurement Act, which would come into effect in December, would increase government’s commitment to “buy locally manufactured goods in order to stimulate employment and production”.

There would also be a continued focus on the infrastructure development programme, which would be further enhanced by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission, which Zuma himself was chairing.

The commission, Zuma said, would seek to unblock obstacles to the delivery of infrastructure and short-term jobs.

The body, which was unveiled following the midyear Cabinet lekgotla, would be supported by a management committee, chaired by Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, as well as the secretariat.

Zuma said that emphasis was also being given to skills development and highlighted the “ground-breaking” Skills Accord, under which business and government committed to enrolling at least 30 000 artisan trainees over the next 12 months in training programmes.

“Business agreed to make at least 17 000 internship places available for young persons who need work experience as part of obtaining their formal qualifications,” Zuma added, while noting that government had also set a target of 3% of employment for internships.

“Organised labour committed to accept that such additional persons would be regarded as trainees and not as employees, and thus there would not be an expectation that they be employed and covered by collective agreements.”