MATLOSANA, North West — The North West unemployment rate has surged to 38.1%, prompting residents in the Matlosana Local Municipality to demand urgent intervention and the accelerated reopening of local mines to combat a deepening jobs crisis. The province recorded a stark increase from 35.3% in just one quarter, shedding approximately 15,000 jobs in the second quarter of 2026.
The broader economic picture is even more dire, with the province’s combined unemployment and potential labor force rate reaching 56.0%, marking the highest expanded unemployment figure in South Africa. For residents of Tigane and Hartbeesfontein, this statistic is not just a number but a daily reality that is severely impacting community living standards.
Community members highlight that their area, home to more than 36,000 residents, relies heavily on a single major employment source: the Supreme mine. However, this operation employs no more than 1,500 local residents, leaving over 33,000 individuals without access to this critical economic lifeline.
In a display of mounting desperation, community members recently gathered at a local sports ground armed with their CVs. The objective is not to submit these directly to the municipality for immediate hiring, but rather to equip local leaders with tangible evidence of the crisis. Residents hope these documents will be used during negotiations with bureaucrats to demonstrate the severity of the situation and accelerate the reopening of dormant mines in the area.
The mood in the community has shifted from mere frustration to outright anger. Residents argue that economic opportunities are not only arriving too slowly but are also being concentrated in the hands of a select few, exacerbating systemic economic exclusion. Community voices pointed to the government’s failure to effectively implement the second phase of the National Development Plan (NDP). With only four years remaining until the NDP’s targeted completion, locals warn that economic conditions for young people continue to worsen.
Adding to the community’s concerns, residents have specifically highlighted the marginalization of people with disabilities, who are being systematically sidelined from the few available employment opportunities.
In response to the growing unrest, a memorandum of demands was submitted on behalf of Executive Mayor Fikile Mahlophe. Addressing the community’s concerns, a local councilor acknowledged the gravity of the situation but noted that a tangible timeline for the mine reopenings cannot yet be provided due to ongoing administrative and regulatory processes.
Despite the lack of a definitive start date for job creation, the local councilor assured residents that significant pressure is being applied to ensure the local community remains the sole beneficiary of the reopened mining operations.
“We see that particular mine as one aspect that will assist us to deal with the issue of unemployment around the area,” the councilor stated, emphasizing the commitment to local economic inclusion.
The community has now issued a strict 14-day ultimatum to the Matlosana Local Municipality to provide a formal response to their memorandum of demands, signaling that patience is rapidly running out as the regional jobs crisis deepens.