Enoch Godongwana wants jobs for the youth, not handouts
He hinted at far-reaching proposals that would focus on millions of young people who are unable to find work
New finance minister Enoch Godongwana has drawn an early line in the sand over the question of a basic income grant (BIG), saying he would rather the funds be used to give work to unemployed black youngsters, instead of a handout.
In an interview yesterday, as he prepares to take up the hot seat vacated by Tito Mboweni, Godongwana was careful to tread a diplomatic path on the BIG, which many in the ANC see as a necessary measure amid low growth and a Covid-ravaged economy.
He hinted at far-reaching proposals that would focus on millions of young people who are unable to find work. He said a more thought-out approach is required, something that has been misinterpreted in the party as his opposing the introduction of a BIG.
Read the full Sunday Times interview here.