ANC Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is attempting to reduce unemployment by limiting the employment tee of foreign nationals in Gauteng businesses. However, experts argue that this will only worsen the situation, while others label it as an attempt to scapegoat the failures of governance. Lesufi and ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza have proposed a quota on the employment of locals, blaming foreigners and the private sector for the high employment numbers in South Africa.
Despite these calls, some experts believe that limiting the employment of foreign nationals would hurt the economy more, while others believe this is an effort to scapegoat the failures of governance ahead of elections. University of Johannesburg’s Professor Trevor Ngwane and Sharon Ekambaram, head of the refugee and migrants rights programme at Lawyers for Human Rights, share similar sentiments, stating that there is no data to suggest that hiring foreigners has any effect on the unemployment of South Africans.
Institute for Security Studies founder Dr Jakkie Cilliers believes that the South African government is blocking the tremendous potential that skilled foreign professionals can bring to the country through its punitive approach to immigration. Cilliers explains that the South African government's approach to immigration is to keep foreigners out of the country, no matter what skills or knowledge they bring. He also notes that South Africans do not believe skilled foreigners benefit the country, but rather that they bring in skills and create employment.
In conclusion, while the negative sentiment towards hiring foreign nationals has surfaced in the Gauteng government, Dr Jakkie Cilliers believes that this issue is already a national issue that is hindering further job creation, investment, and knowledge transfer in the economy.
