The inferno of unemployment continues to blaze its way through the Eastern Cape, decimating job opportunities in the province.

The hopes and dreams of our people, particularly the youth, are simply going up in smoke!

The latest unemployment statistics, for the first quarter of 2024, shows that the Eastern Cape lost 77 000 jobs over the months from January to March.

Unemployment in the province is rising, and any temporary gains have now been wiped out. The province has the worst levels of unemployment in the country on both the official figure, which increased to 42.4%, and the expanded figure of 49.1%.

When you look at the expanded unemployment figure outside the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City Metro’s the picture is even bleaker, with 57% of the population without work.

The flames of unemployment leap from town to town, leaving brokenness in its wake. The Eastern Cape deserves a rising tide of hope, rather than a rising tide of unemployment.

These latest figures simply extend the nightmare of shattered dreams and opportunities that the people of this province long for – it does not have to be like this!

The Eastern Cape needs a dramatic intervention to chart a new course – it starts with building a capable state at all levels of government. The DA has a plan to rescue the Eastern Cape and put out the fires of unemployment.

Intervention steps include:

• Fixing the province’s broken road network
• Restoring a reliable water and energy supply
• Ending cadre deployment and ensuring people fit for purpose are appointed to key positions
• Bringing down crime rate by inter alia the use of technology to create a safer environment for investment

The latest unemployment statistics underscore the desperate need for the rescue of the Eastern Cape province.

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