Johannesburg - The unemployment rate for youths aged between 16 and 25 was 52% in South Africa compared with a national average for all ages of 26.5%, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Thursday evening in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape unemployment figure stood at 49%.
"The fact of unemployment at such horrendously high levels is obviously the biggest risk facing both the province and the city," Manuel said.
He said that the higher youth unemployment rate against the national average was not unique to South Africa, but observable in most parts of the world.
"A large chunk of the answer to unemployment lies in upgrading the available skills, but none of this will happen without a huge investment in mathematics and science education, without which investment opportunities will remain in those sectors that have far lower prospects of dynamic growth," Manuel said.
He noted that in 2003 only 3 937 Western Cape pupils passed mathematics at higher grade in the Western Cape out of more than 38 000 who wrote matric.
He also said that less than a third of those who obtained their mathematics pass were from previously disadvantaged communities.
"An enormous concern that we should discuss in the context of labour absorption is the fact that school dropout rates are horrendously high so a mere 45% to 52% of those who enroll at Grade 1 reach Grade 12," he said.
The high youth unemployment rate in part meant that violent crime was high with homicide being the leading cause of death in Cape Town with a rate of 70 per 100 000.
Aids-related deaths feature third on the list of causes of death and affects more women than men, Manuel said.
Road accidents are the ninth cause of death.
Manuel noted that in general, more affluent areas would have more property related crime, while poor, disadvantaged areas experience more serious violent crime.
The police service areas that are treated as priority areas as they have higher crime levels over a period are - Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Kuils River, Nyanga, Gugulethu and Phillippi.
In these Cape Town suburbs, homicide rates were significantly higher than the national average, burglaries were twice the national average and child abuse almost thrice the national average, Manuel pointed out.
The minister said the linkages between inequality reduction, poverty reduction and growth are central to dealing with the extent and nature of crime.
"The truth about health care is that large chunks of disease can be prevented by attending to a range of 'other' issues, including services like water and sanitation and a huge investment in education, to try and alter the conduct of people."