Johannesburg - A proposed job seekers grant to help unemployed young
people find work would not replace the youth wage subsidy, African National Congress head of
policy Jeff Radebe said on Wednesday.
"It's not a replacement for the wage subsidy... (but)
whether it's succeeding or not will be contested in the next 24 hours,"
Radebe said at Midrand.
He was briefing reporters on the sidelines of the ANC national policy conference in Midrand.
He said the proposal for the job seekers grant was submitted by the National Youth Development Agency and the ANC Youth League.
It formed part of the ANC's discussion document on
social transformation and would be debated during commissions on
Wednesday evening.
On Tuesday President Jacob Zuma, who is also the
party's leader, said the job seekers grant would help young people while
they actively look for employment. The grant would be linked to the
compulsory skills development programmes.
The youth wage subsidy programme was announced by Zuma
in 2010, but its introduction has been postponed. It is currently under
discussion at the National Economic Development and Labour Council.
The subsidy involves a R5bn tax credit to be introduced over three years to promote the employment of young people.
Radebe said most of Wednesday had been spent discussing
the ANC's documents on strategy and tactics, which included the second
transition, and organisational renewal.
Commissions would start debates on the party's 11 other
documents on Wednesday evening. Commissions would start to report back
on Thursday morning, said Radebe.
The first report would be on strategy, tactics and organisational renewal.