Finance Minister Tito Mboweni Encourages South African Restaurants To Hire South Africans Post Lockdown

In a short address Mboweni said, “when he returned to South Africa from exile in 1990, eight out of ten restaurants hired South Africans. To date as things stand, almost 100% of restaurants have hired non-South Africans.”

He added, “when the lockdown gets lifted that question should be answered. Saying, when the economy re-opens establishments must have new labour market policies in place.”

“The portion of South Africans working in restaurants must be greater than that of non-South Africans, he adds, “and the must not be discrimination against non-South Africans,” Said Mboweni.

The finance minister agrees that South Africa is currently facing extraordinary times and enormous economic challenges. However, South Africa has resources and resilience to overcome these challenges.

On Tuesday 21 April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced R500 Billion stimulus package as a relief from the COVD-19 pandemic, the finance minister then laid out the support intervention packages.

He added that R20 billion will be added to the health budget, and the will be a R50 billion increase in the existing grant system. A COVID-19 grant of R350 a month will be paid to the unemployed South Africans who have no income.

“The government is focusing on using the levers of fiscal and monetary policy in a coordinated way, hoping for a countercyclical to the economy. “We must be careful not to choose a path that seems easy, or to good to be true,” Said Mboweni.

South Africa is currently under a lockdown and is on level 5, and on Thursday 23 April this week the government developed an approach that will determine the measures that will be put in place based on the direction of the pandemic in the country. This approach will include five stages:

Level 5 drastic measures are required to contain the spread of the virus and to saves lives

Level 4 some activities will be allowed to resume subject to extreme precautions required to limit community transmission and outbreaks.

Level 3 involves the further easing of some restrictions, including on work and social activities to address high risk of transmission.

Level 2 involves the further easing of restrictions, but the maintenance of physical distancing and restrictions on some leisure and social activities to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

Level 1 Most normal activities can resume with precautions and health guidelines followed at all times.

The president thanked South Africans for the determination they have demonstrated to the entire world on what the nation can achieve with courage and solidarity.

By: Sakhe Dolonga