House Chairperson, the ACDP is acutely aware that South Africa’s unemployment crisis remains one of the greatest threats to our economy, social stability and national dignity. Millions of South Africans, especially young people, remain excluded from meaningful economic participation.
This Budget Vote must therefore be measured by one question: Will it help sustainable jobs and restore hope to our people? While the ACDP recognises the importance of protecting workers’ rights, promoting decent work and ensuring safe workplaces, labour policy must also support economic growth, investment and enterprise development.
This R4,5 billion budget faces serious resistance from governance failures in the department. Persistent delays and inefficiencies at the Unemployment Insurance Fund and Compensation Fund leave vulnerable workers without timely relief, while weak consequence management and recurring information and communications technology, ICT, failures continue to frustrate both workers and employers.
The portfolio committee has rightfully highlighted ongoing weaknesses in administration, audit outcomes, enforcement capacity and oversight across key entities, including the UIF, Compensation Fund, Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, CCMA, and National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac. These failures damage trust and discourage compliance.
The ACDP understands that small and medium enterprises remain the greatest potential source of job creation, yet many are suffocated by rising costs, excessive compliance burdens, unreliable infrastructure and regulatory uncertainty. Simultaneously, there remains a serious mismatch between available skills and labour market demand. Too many young people leave the education system without the practical and technical skills needed in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, technology and energy.
As kingdom builders, the ACDP proposes three key priorities:
- Firstly, expand vocational training, apprenticeships, artisan development and labour activation programmes aligned to the private sector demand.
- Secondly, unnecessary regulatory burdens on small businesses must be reduced while maintaining fair labour protections that encourage job creation.
- Thirdly, urgent reforms are needed at the UIF and Compensation Fund to improve governance, strengthen ICT systems, eliminate corruption and ensure efficient service delivery.
Employment is more than just an income. It restores dignity, strengthens families and builds safer communities. This budget must translate into job opportunities and economic renewal.
I thank you.
