STATEMENT ISSUED BY MR NQABAYOMZI KWANKWA – UDM DEPUTY PRESIDENT AND CHIEF WHIP

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) welcomes the good news of South Africa’s exit from the recession. The poorest of the poor need a better performing economy to take them out of poverty, unemployment and inequality. We hope, corruption which compounds these triple challenges, will also be defeated and buried with urgency, so that this improved economic performance benefits the people; not the connected few.

We are also taking note of the fact that while the agricultural production has grown, it has failed to create more job opportunities due to the methods of production used. In this regard, as we compete in the global market, the UDM believes that labour intensive methods, should be balanced with the demands of technological advancement, in order for SA to significantly reduce the current 27.7% unemployment rate.

We call on government to do more to sustain this growth and grow the informal and small business sector, aggressively, without favour end corruption.

End