5 things South Africa’s new president Ramapahosa should do without delay

Economy and unemployment

South Africa has experienced a population growth of 1.2 percent but its economic growth has been limited in recent years. Unemployment is also at a high of 27.7 percent across the general population and as high as 68 percent among young people, government statistics say. Touching on the difficulties in South Africa’s economy, James Hamill, a lecturer at the University of Leicester, told Sputnik that Ramaphosa is a competent politician and manager who can take steps to improve the economic situation. “This is a huge task as the economy is floundering but Ramaphosa is a far superior politician, a much more competent manager, he currently enjoys the confidence of both business and organised labour and the confidence of international investors and ratings agencies,” Hamill said. Others argue that in order to rejuvenate one of Africa’s most powerful economies and bring in more jobs, corruption must be rooted out.

“You know, I think he is going to be focused on corruption as a big thing because the thing is, in South Africa a lot of the reason why the economy is not growing.

“Why we don’t have the jobs, why the state is not functioning, why ordinary black people who are poor are not getting their houses or their jobs, or a good education or health, is corruption. “A big part of it is corruption,” William Gumede, the executive chairperson of South Africa’s Democracy Works Foundation non-profit organization as quoted by Sputnik.