Deaths of scrap metal hijackers a testament to ANC failure to create jobs
In the last eight months, 10 people have died while trying to steal metal parts from moving trucks.
Many others have been severely injured after falling underneath these trucks, while trying to grab metal parts which would later be sold to scrap yards.
Scrap metal ‘hijackers’, like many other criminals, are desperate to feed their families as they don’t have jobs, with youth unemployment now at 38,6% in our country.
Premier Makhura must answer to this issue. I will write to him and request that he informs the DA whether his MECs of Transport and Community Safety are aware of this issue and what they are doing to address it in the immediate future. The Premier must account for why his government is failing to create jobs for the people of this province.
A job is not a nice-to-have but rather a necessity to move forward in life. If people do not have jobs, they cannot feed their families and they cannot progress. It is crucial that government enables job-creation and that it assists and empowers those who cannot fend for themselves. Many young people are turning to crime because the ANC-run Gauteng Government has failed to enable job-creation.
Recently the Gauteng Provincial Legislature debated a motion to assist in formalizing the informal recycling sector. The scrap metal industry must be regulated to prevent the sale of stolen goods into the sector. Therefore, the Gauteng Economic Development MEC, must come to the fore to create an environment in which those who process scrap goods can do so safely and within a regulated framework.
DA-led governments in Gauteng show clear signs of unemployment being in decline thanks to the policies that have been geared to job-creating growth and stimulating investor confidence. They are ensuring growth by making safety and delivery key priorities. The DA is the only party that can bring about the job-creating change that people need.
