Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba says the province is recording encouraging progress in the fight against poverty and unemployment.
She was speaking during the ongoing State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate in Parliament.
Ramathuba points to declining poverty levels and falling unemployment figures.
She says Limpopo is a national leader in poverty reduction.
“I remind you of the latest Income and Expenditure Survey, which shows that poverty in Limpopo has declined from 66% to 47.6%, a major decrease nationally. Just yesterday, the 2025 Quarter 4 Labor Force Survey was released, and it shows that the Limpopo unemployment rate is up to 28.2%, following a significant decline from 35% to 29.8% in Quarter 3 of 2025. It has fallen.” Ramathuba says.
Meanwhile, ANC MP Fasih Hassan has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to treat youth unemployment as a national emergency.
She was also speaking during the SONA debate.
Hasan says the government should move beyond speeches and move towards decisive action.
She demands binding goals, deadlines and results.
“And so, this is what we demand from us as young people: Treat youth unemployment like a national emergency, not with speeches but with the power of the state, with a wartime approach that mobilizes every single department, every single public entity, municipality and every private company in this country with targets, timelines and results. We are finished with an economy of extraction. There can be no licensing without benefits, no tenders without youth jobs and training. And there can be no encouragement without decent work. And for the youth who are watching, Hassan says, “This is the struggle of our republic.”
Debate on SONA 2026 in Parliament: