South Africa's unemployment crisis: Is the GNU to blame?
The official unemployment rate has climbed back to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, exactly where it stood a year ago.
Picture: Fati Moalusi/AFP
CapeTalk's Clarence Ford interviews Reuben Coetzer of the Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA).
Listen below:
Free SA has expressed serious concern over the latest labour market figures released by Statistics South Africa.
According to the data, the official unemployment rate has climbed back to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 – exactly where it stood a year ago – highlighting a troubling lack of progress.
Coetzer says this reversal underscores the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) ongoing failure to address South Africa’s deepening unemployment crisis, with more than 12 million people currently out of work.
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He emphasises that the government's response has lacked both effectiveness and sustainability.
Coetzer further argues that the GNU’s policies remain closely aligned with those of the African National Congress (ANC), and it is precisely these policies, he says, that have contributed to the current economic and employment crisis.
Looking ahead, Coetzer expresses pessimism about the future, saying that there appears to be no clear or credible plan from the GNU to create jobs over the next four years leading up to the next national elections.
"We are in a state of crisis when it comes to unemployment."
- Reuben Coetzer, Spokesperson – Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality
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