Statement by Stanford Mazhindu, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:

Government's track record makes it difficult to accept that the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan presented by President Ramaphosa yesterday, will be able to turn the economy around.

Job creation was the centre of the presentation with the plan promising to create 800 000 job opportunities through major infrastructure development projects. We have heard these promises before the Coronavirus pandemic, summits were held to boost the economy and create jobs, and yet they did not yield the expected results.

Corruption and cadre deployment stands in the way of government’s implementation. Unless there is a firm commitment from the government to root out corruption and revamp the tender issuing process, the infrastructure development plan might not succeed.

Spectrum release is a low-hanging fruit that the government could have used to alleviate the cost of data especially now that people are working from home and the internet has become a means of business and social interaction. Two ministers later since its inception in 2018, we have to wait until 2021 for the implementation. UASA asks: why it takes so long to implement these measures that could be saving many South Africans money in these difficult times.

UASA was pleased with the announcement that the R350 social grant has been extended to assist those who have been negatively affected by the pandemic. This has gone a long way in assisting many South Africans who were otherwise rendered financially destitute.

The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan has the potential to boost the South African economy and save jobs, but we need unwavering support from local, provincial and national government to make it succeed for all South Africans, else the plan will just be like any other promises we have heard before.

Issued by UASA