Mantashe’s remarks on youth unemployment spark backlash as analyst questions govt capacity

Political analyst Hlumelo Xaba says Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s recent remarks about youth unemployment reflect a political leadership ‘alienated to the harsh reality’ facing South Africans.

Mantashe recently suggested that young people expect the government to ‘catch the fish for them’ instead of seeking opportunities themselves. He also reportedly said that because South Africa has a progressive government, some people expect it to provide jobs rather than actively look for them.

His comments have drawn criticism from various quarters, including ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji.

‘Unscientific’ view of unemployment crisis

Speaking on 702/CapeTalk, Xaba described the minister’s assertions as ‘unfounded and unscientific speculation’.

“You cannot say that there are jobs for young people in an economy that is, in my view, in a permanent recession,” he said.

Xaba pointed to South Africa’s sluggish economic growth, which has struggled to exceed 1% in recent years, and an official unemployment rate of about 31.9%.

“The stats are there for us to all see that the country currently has an unemployment rate of about 31.9%, which is probably one of the highest we’ve had,” he said.

He argued that the core issue was whether the state had the capacity to create sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for graduates and young job seekers.

“If you are a government that embraces a developmental state model, you should be at the centre of development, meaning that you need to have the capacity to create jobs.”

Skills, competition and foreign nationals

The debate also touched on claims that foreign nationals are taking up opportunities that South Africans are not.

Xaba said migration trends were not unique to South Africa, arguing that people generally move to more developed economies in search of opportunity.

“In any region around the world, the most developed country tends to attract people from neighbouring countries,” he said, citing migration patterns in the Americas and within the SADC region.

However, he acknowledged growing tensions over competition for jobs and business opportunities.

“The competition becomes so tight that locals now find themselves closed out,” Xaba said, adding that while skills may exist locally, many South Africans lack the means to compete effectively.

He noted that technical and vocational training pathways, such as TVET colleges, should play a bigger role in expanding artisanal skills in the economy, which he believes have been neglected as the country shifted toward a service-driven model.

Is government support sufficient?

While acknowledging the existence of agencies like the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and sector education and training authorities (SETAS), Xaba questioned their effectiveness.

“There are various agencies that are supposed to aid entrepreneurs. However, the government is not efficient enough to ensure that these SETAS play a central role in the development of our country,” he said.

Drawing a parallel with land reform, he argued that beneficiaries often receive assets without adequate post-allocation support.

“A lot of the people who got that land weren’t able to make it productive because the government did not intervene to ensure that they were supported and given the necessary instruments.”

For Xaba, the controversy around Mantashe’s remarks ultimately underscores a broader crisis of trust between citizens and political leaders.

“I think such utterances corroborate the sentiment that we have a group of political elites that are very alienated to the reality that South Africans face daily,” he said.

For more details, listen to Xaba using the audio player below: