SA’s former ambassador to Japan, Smuts Ngonyama, has called on government ministers to intervene urgently to prevent the closure of Goodyear SA’s Kariega plant.
He has appealed for state-backed incentives and support measures to help keep the facility operational and protect jobs.
Goodyear SA managing director Paul Gerrard announced the plant’s closure during a staff meeting held at the Despatch Town Hall on Thursday.
More than 900 jobs are on the line.
Ngonyama, a resident of KwaNobuhle, said after hearing the news he contacted Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane to alert him and reached out to finance minister Enoch Godongwana to request urgent intervention.
“Everyone must step in,” he said.
“It can’t be just left to the local [leaders] but everyone needs to step in and come up with measures to salvage the situation.
“It can be Goodyear today, but tomorrow it can be Isuzu [Motors SA] and VW [Group Africa].
“If there is a situation of incentive and incentive packages that are needed to salvage the situation or investors, then the government needs to make it happen,” he said.
In a Section 189A notice signed by Gerrard, Goodyear SA indicated that the restructuring was expected to affect 907 jobs, including both direct employees and those in positions linked to its manufacturing operations.
“In SA, the declining medium-term outlook in available local markets continues to manifest itself with no indication of a turnaround in the longer term,” he wrote.
“A further erosion of the declining market has been occasioned by the influx of low-cost imports with which Goodyear SA is unable to compete.”
Only 24 workers in consumer, truck sales, legal, finance, revenue management and supply chain will be retained.
Ngonyama called for an urgent meeting with stakeholders, including residents of Kariega and Nelson Mandela Bay at large.
He said engagements with Goodyear SA needed to include residents as they would be affected most.
“The community must stand up and identify people to participate in the consultations. The community must be able to express their emotions.”
He said the community had supported the company for the past 78 years.
Some died, others moved on and are scholars.
“Losing a steady income will lead to some being cut off from services of the municipality, and this will also affect the city’s revenue collection because people will no longer be able to afford rates such as water and electricity.
“Poverty is going to rise. This is not a small thing.”
Ngonyama, a former casual worker at Goodyear SA, said the metro would be affected by the closure, including companies that supplied Goodyear, such as Orion Engineered Carbons Clinic in Gqeberha.
“The Eastern Cape is the province with the highest unemployment.”
The unemployment rate in the province now stands at 39.3%, compared with 22.3% in the metro.
“We may not be able to change the decision of the company but we can engage with it to find alternatives so other players can come in.
“The provincial and national governments must come in.
“If Goodyear is not coming in, there must be targeted programmes to mitigate the situation.
“We can’t be left in the lurch like this, drowning by ourselves because we’re people with minds, people must come together and think.
“Goodyear couldn’t have taken such a huge decision like this for the municipality to hear about it at the same time as the rest of the community.”
In its report on liquidations in SA, Stats SA revealed that the country had seen 109 business liquidations in April 2025 and 482 business closures since the beginning of the year.
Mabuyane did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau’s spokesperson, Yamkela Fanisi, said the department was reaching out to engage Goodyear SA.
“It’s unclear as to the direction of the engagement,” Fanisi said.
“The possibility 900 job losses would be devastating for SA’s economy.”
The Herald
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