Government has unveiled a series of measures which it says will help the country alleviate poverty and speed up job creation.

Dubbed the ‘12-point implementation plan’, the strategy will see the State utilising short term employment schemes, enterprise development and a series of public investment schemes to address the challenge of unemployment, which was exacerbated by the 2008 global economic crisis. More than 900 000 South Africans lost their jobs during that period.

Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, speaking after the three-day Cabinet Lekgotla, said Cabinet also resolved to establish an Infrastructure Commission and Job Creation Commission to be chaired by President Jacob Zuma and his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe, respectively. Research shows that while unemployment figures have increased, government has been leading in job creation, with the private sector lagging behind.

Chabane said the Infrastructure Commission will ensure systematic selection, planning and monitoring of large projects.

“This intervention will systematically improve the capacity of state agencies to deliver infrastructure and help connect the work of all spheres of government,” Chabane said, adding that the revitalization of the country’s rail infrastructure was also highlighted.

With regard to enterprise development, interventions will include scaling up small business incubation programmes, while the BBBEE Codes will also be used to encourage private sector buying.

Chabane said the Lekgotla had further proposed that all government departments should spend at least one percent of their payroll to develop skills, with emphasis on artisanship being expanded across the state.

“Cabinet also noted that the recent Local Government elections brought to sharp focus the need to further accelerate the provision of basic needs and infrastructure in rural and urban areas.

“On service delivery, it was emphasized that the extension of water, sanitation, electricity, roads and other basic needs were urgent,” Chabane said.

Meanwhile, government has thanked civil society and business in South Africa that has contributed towards relief efforts in Somalia.

Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi told reporters on Friday that South Africa further called on developed countries “to visibly illustrate their commitments to the development of the region by not only providing the necessary funds, but also to keep their promises to invest in crisis prevention.”

The East African country’s hunger crisis has been described as one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades.

Tens of thousands of Somali refugees are reportedly flooding camps in Ethiopia and Kenya at a rate of more than 3 000 new arrivals per day in search of food, after several seasons without rain killed livestock and destroyed crops in Somalia.

Manyi added that Cabinet was also satisfied with the progress made thus far in preparation for the upcoming UN climate change conference scheduled for December in Durban.