‘Unemployment Keeps Me Awake At Night’

President Cyril Ramaphosa says unemployment keeps him awake at night as he calls for urgent action and stronger public-private partnerships to create jobs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that South Africa’s crippling unemployment crisis weighs heavily on him, saying the issue often keeps him awake at night as he searches for solutions.

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He made the remarks on Wednesday at Sun City in Rustenburg while addressing preparations for the ANC’s January 8 celebrations.

Ramaphosa Says Joblessness Is His Biggest Worry

While acknowledging the country’s many challenges — including crime, state capture and broader socio-economic pressures — Ramaphosa said unemployment remains his top concern.

“The issue of unemployment keeps all of us here on the stage awake,” he said.

“It especially keeps me awake at night in terms of trying to find solutions.”

The President stressed that tackling unemployment requires urgent and coordinated action across multiple sectors of society.

Mantashe’s Comments Spark Debate on Public Responsibility

Ramaphosa’s remarks come days after ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe stirred controversy during an interview with the SABC.

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Mantashe criticised what he described as a passive relationship between government and society, arguing that many South Africans expect the state to do everything for them.

“We have created a situation where people sit back, you sit in the sun, and expect the state to deliver,” he said.

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He added that this approach was a mistake and called for a shift towards an active society where citizens take responsibility for their own progress.

Mantashe also referenced a discussion with a young woman who complained about unemployment despite being educated.

“The ANC has provided you with a fishing rod; now you expect the ANC to catch the fish for you,” he said.

Addressing expectations around job creation, Mantashe added: “I am over 70 years old; the government has never looked for a job for me. Today, because there is a progressive government, people expect the government to give them jobs; they do not look for jobs, and that must change.”

Private Sector and State-Owned Entities Key to Job Creation

Ramaphosa said solving the unemployment crisis would require collaboration between government and business.

“On the way here, I was talking to the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana,” he said.

“Minister, we need to mobilise more money so that we can create jobs for the young people of our country, so that we can find ways of creating jobs, but also working with the private sector.”

He highlighted that the private sector controls about 75% of South Africa’s economy and must play a central role in job creation.

“So we need to harness them, to mobilise them, to make sure that they work with us to create jobs,” he said.

The President also pointed to efforts to stabilise and strengthen state-owned entities such as Eskom and Transnet, describing them as critical to economic recovery.

“We are strengthening the public sector. We are strengthening Eskom and Transnet and making progress on an ongoing basis,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the ANC, alongside its partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU), is working to rebuild public trust and reposition itself to deliver results.

“The organisation that is the leading governing party, together with others in the Government of National Unity, is renewing itself, repositioning itself, and rebuilding itself,” he said.

He ended by praising South Africans for their resilience. “I have never seen you lose heart, I have never seen you lose hope,” Ramaphosa said, thanking citizens for their continued support and perseverance.

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