South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately step down following the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures.
According to the figures that Statistics South Africa released, the GDP increased by 1.2% in the second quarter of 2021.
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The South African #economy recorded its 4th consecutive quarter of growth, expanding by 1,2% in Q2:2021. This followed a revised 1,0% rise in #GDP in Q1:2021.#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/NNe1UWKyBt— Stats SA (@StatsSA) September 7, 2021
The data shows that contributions to the increase came from transport, communication and agriculture, as well as personal services and the accommodation industries.
Statistics also show that the overall unemployment increased to 34.4% with young people being the most affected.
SAFTU General-Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has warned that if government does not change its current economic policies, more jobs will be lost.
“Government is refusing to restructure the economy. Government is refusing to abandon liberal policies. Government is refusing to embrace a call that has been made so repeatedly that the current structure inherited from the colonial apartheid will never ever respond to the crisis of larger economy, the inclusion of black people [and the] the crisis of poverty,” adds Vavi.
Sifiso Skenjana looks at SA’s GDP growth of 1.2% in the second quarter of 2021:
