The Swaziland Government is
misleading people about the rate of unemployment in the impoverished kingdom.
Media reported on Tuesday
(22 May 2018) an announcement from Minister of Labour and Social Security
Winnie Magagula that the number of people with jobs was now 288,044 from a
current labour force of 373,869. The figures, the Times of
Swaziland reported her saying, were based on a 2016 survey. They were an
improvement on 2013/14 figures, she said. If correct, this means 85,825 people were
unemployed.
The Times reported she said, ‘I would like to take this opportunity to
applaud all stakeholders that worked hand in hand with government to provide
more jobs in the kingdom. We are highly grateful that the employment rate has
been increased by five per cent.’
But, the figures are inconsistent with
another issued by the Swazi Government. In October 2016 – the
same year as the just-published survey – the Ministry of Sports, Culture and
Youth Affairs reported 280,000 or 42.6 percent of the 668,000 people aged
between 18 and 24 were unemployed.
The latest CIA
Factbook on Swaziland puts the 2016 unemployment rate in the kingdom at
28 percent, but says the labour force was estimated to be 427,900.
That would make the number of unemployed 119,812, or nearly 34,000 more than
the government count.
Seven in ten of the estimated 1.1 million population
live in abject poverty with incomes less than US$2 per day.
In a 2015 survey
by Afrobarometer reported that one in two Swazis (53
percent) said that unemployment was one of the most important issues government
should address, compared to 42 percent in 2013 who stated the same. Education (23 percent), poverty (23 percent),
water supply (22 percent), infrastructure/roads (19 percent ), health (18
percent ) and corruption (17 percent) were the top seven issues Swazi people
said they wanted government to prioritise.
See also
SWAZIS
CAMP OUT TO BEG KING FOR JOBS
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/07/swazis-camp-out-to-beg-king-for-jobs.html
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