Cape Town – ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe has sparked widespread backlash after suggesting that unemployed South Africans are too dependent on the government and should be more proactive in seeking work.
Speaking in an SABC interview, Mantashe said the ANC had created opportunities and urged citizens to stop “basking in the sun” and actively apply for jobs, arguing that government cannot be expected to find employment for individuals.
“The ANC has given you a fishing rod — must it now catch fish for you?” he asked.
“I am now over 70. I’ve never had a government look for a job for me. Today, because there is a progressive government, people expect that government to [must] give them jobs. They don’t look for jobs themselves, and that must change.”
WATCH | Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe has urged South Africans to be proactive, adding that people must look for work and not wait for the government to give them jobs. pic.twitter.com/Ey9VG1Rdem
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 4, 2026
Mantashe added: “You queue for a job, you look for the advert, and you apply in real terms. We must move away from being a ‘parcel society’ and become an active society.”
His remarks drew sharp criticism on social media and from opposition figures, who described them as insensitive and detached from the reality of South Africa’s high unemployment.
He is ignorant, out of touch with reality, didn’t JMPD have 200K applicants while they only wanted less than 5K personnel?
I don’t like mentioning ANC but he is literally denting ANC
People have LinkedIN, Pnet, Indeed, Careers24, etc and are applying a lot with no luck
— NTUKULU (@Dee_Amu) January 4, 2026
Minister, did you look for a job or government provided for you? Speaking from the high horse of privilege is easy, benefited from the system then ask others to look the other way, wow
— Rural🚶Roover (@mofere) January 4, 2026
Haybo lo Tata… we are not lazy, we are tired 😭 juggling jobs, side hustles, load-shedding, taxis, fuel prices and still making it to work. That’s not relaxing, that’s survival mode
— In A Nutshell🥜 (@Markosonke1) January 4, 2026
Telling people to look for work while his government has collapsed the economy shows how tone deaf these people are.
Jobs come from competent leadership and functioning infrastructure. This government has delivered neither.— JayL (@NoSpinZA) January 4, 2026
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
