South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday night urged his country's private sector to assist the government's drive to create employment.
He told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that, for example, the private sector could hire graduates who lack work experience.
"How do you allow skilled people to swell the ranks of the unemployed when in fact you could find a way to deal with it," Zuma said.
He said that when young people qualify but cannot find work, "you are adding numbers to unemployment... this is a challenge and we must deal with it."
According to the South African Press Association (SAPA), Zuma also said that money set aside by the South African government to create jobs will be "rigorously" monitored,
On Feb. 10, Zuma said in his state of the nation address that a jobs fund of 9 billion rands (1.29 billion U.S. dollars) over the next three years would be established to finance new job- creation initiatives in South Africa.
He also said the South African Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) had set aside 10 billion rands (1.43 billion U.S. dollars) over the next five years for investment economic activities with a high job creation potential.
On Sunday night Zuma also said that the South African government will see to it that vacancies in various South African government departments are filled.
"We are not going to allow vacancies... they must filled," he said.