ANC's Mbalula maintains vow to create 2.5 million jobs

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) stuck to its guns on plans to create almost three million new jobs amid criticism of its ambitious to-do list ahead of the 29 May election.

The party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, made the comments during a Workers' Day rally in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

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While he said progress had been made, Mbalula admitted that more still needed to be done.

"We will create 2.5 million job opportunities and permanent jobs. We will maintain the R350 but change it to a basic income grant."

Despite harsh criticism about progress in addressing some workers' issues, labour analyst Tony Healy said South Africa remained ahead.

"South Africa has very significant workers' rights in a fairly regulated labour regime where you will see the kind of protections in our law or better than what you’ll see in the rest of the world."