Journo blog

Summer maize ploughing seemed impossible for Misty Mount residents By Qaqamba Matundu Photo by Qaqamba Matundu   December is a month that most people in the Eastern Cape use to plant maize because, summer is best known to be a great season for plants to blossom nicely with the help of sun, but due to climate change that has been ongoing the past years things are no longer the same. December is dominated by extreme heat. Misty Mount is a small disadvantaged rural area in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape with no job opportunities. People survive only by farming and now it’s difficult to make a living because everything is dying including livestock. The scorching sun makes the soil to be hard rock. Mzoxolo Ndiki, one of Misty Mount residents affected by climate change said, “Last year I asked a tractor to come plough for me since it was that period of maize, but it took weeks for it to finally manage because the soil was very dry. I then planted what later became waste because everyt

  South African unemployment crisis By Qaqamba Matundu Unemployment rate lessened to 32,7% in quarter 4 of 2022 from 32,9% in quarter 3, 0,2% quarter 3 to quarter 4 in 2022. “Statistics South Africa said 169 000 jobs were gained between Q3 and Q4, while the number of unemployed persons increased by 28 000 to 7,8 million.” Says Storm Simpson, reporter from The South African. According to Politicsweb industries like finance (103 000), private household (54 000), trade (52 000) and transport (43 000) recorded the largest job gains. Job loses were recorded in community and social services (122 000), agriculture (12 000) and construction (12 000). The formal sector recorded an increase in employment of 143 000 and the informal sector recorded a loss in employment of 155 000 between the Q3 and Q4 of 2022. “South Africa’s unemployment rate remains sky high and the best that can be said about terrible situation is that the number appears to be moving in the right direction.” Says E