No one fights for critical skills, poor people fight for crumbs - Motsoaledi

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Mostoaledi and ONE SA leader Mmusi Maimane talk about the critical skills list.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the proposed new law governing job quotas for foreign nations has been in the making for several laws.

South Africa plans to introduce this law to deal with the high unemployment rates in the country.

Speaking to Aubrey Masango on the Clement Manyathela show, Motsoaledi says the critical skills list is part and parcel of the immigration laws.

He adds that the critical skills list was not published in 2018 as the law requires because of massive consultations.

The minister of home affairs is supposed to publish a list of critical skills and that list reviewed every four years. The last time the critical skills list was published in South Africa is 2014.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs

There is nothing explosive about the critical skills list and yes, it did delay because, in terms of Section 19-4 of the Immigration Act, it's supposed to be published in the government gazette by the minister of home affairs.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs

The battles you see for jobs on the ground it's about ordinary poor people. It's poor people fighting each other about the crumbs on the people. If you look at the critical skills list, no one is fighting for them.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs

Motsoaledi says the critical skills list was gazetted on 2 February and transitional mechanisms have been outlined.

There is nothing wrong with employing people from other countries, even the law allows for that but the problem is if companies employ an illegal person in order to exploit them.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs

Meanwhile, the Leader of One SA Movement Mmusi Maimane says strong leadership is needed in the Southern African Development Community region.

The enforcement of a critical skills list is a very tricky situation because what ends up happening is people register under different codes.

Mmusi Maimane, Leader - One SA Movement

I think where South Africa has is failed is, in fact, it allowed dictators to balloon in its own SADC neighborhood, and whilst they failed to intervene there, they've ended up with a scenario where unskilled immigration is taking place in the country.

Mmusi Maimane, Leader - One SA Movement

Listen to the full interview below:

More from Local