“It Keeps Me Awake at Night”: Ramaphosa Speaks Candidly About Unemployment

In a country where unemployment touches nearly every household, President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted what many South Africans already know all too well: the crisis is deeply personal and deeply troubling.

Speaking at Sun City in Rustenburg during preparations for the ANC’s January 8 celebrations, Ramaphosa said unemployment is one of the issues that literally keeps him awake at night.

While acknowledging South Africa’s long list of challengescrime, state capture, and broader socio-economic pressures, the president made it clear that joblessness remains at the top of his concerns.

“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.”

A Nation on Edge About Jobs

Ramaphosa’s comments come at a time when unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most emotionally charged and politically sensitive issues. For millions of young people, finding work feels less like a goal and more like a lottery, with education offering no guaranteed escape.

That reality has sparked intense debate inside and outside the ANC, particularly after comments made earlier this week by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe.

Mantashe’s Comments Spark Backlash

In an interview with the SABC, Mantashe struck a far more confrontational tone, suggesting that South Africans have become too dependent on the state.

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

Mantashe argued that the country needs to shift from what he described as a passive society to an active one, where citizens take responsibility for their own success.

He shared an anecdote about a young woman who complained about a lack of jobs 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.

His remarks quickly sparked strong reactions online, with many South Africans pushing back against what they saw as a dismissal of structural unemployment and limited opportunitiesespecially for young graduates.

Ramaphosa Strikes a Softer, Broader Tone

Where Mantashe leaned on personal responsibility, Ramaphosa focused on systemic solutions and collaboration.

The president revealed that he had already raised the issue with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana while travelling to the event.

“Minister, we need to mobilise more money so that we can create jobs for the young people of our country,” Ramaphosa said.

He emphasised that government alone cannot fix the crisisand that the private sector, which controls around 75% of the economy, must be part of the solution.

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

Fixing the Foundations: Eskom and Transnet

Ramaphosa also pointed to efforts to stabilise key state-owned entities like Eskom and Transnet, acknowledging their critical role in economic growth and job creation.

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

For many South Africans, reliable electricity and functioning logistics aren’t abstract policy goalsthey’re the difference between businesses surviving or shutting their doors.

A Party Trying to Rebuild Trust

The president framed these efforts as part of a broader renewal within the ANC and the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“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.”

After years of corruption scandals and broken promises, restoring public trust remains one of the ANC’s toughest challenges.

“I Have Never Seen You Lose Hope”

Despite the grim realities, Ramaphosa ended on a note of gratitude and optimism, praising the resilience of ordinary South Africans.

“I have never seen you lose heart, I have never seen you lose hope.”

It’s a sentiment many will find both comforting and complicated. For a nation tired of speeches and waiting for tangible change, the question remains: will sleepless nights finally translate into lasting jobs?

For now, unemployment continues to haunt the country and, by the president’s own admission, its highest office too.

{Source: IOL}

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