Public Works wants the politics taken out of EPWP
The EPWP, which provides employment skills to communities across the country, has recently been faced with allegations of corruption.
- Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
- Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI)
- Dean Macpherson
FILE: A 2017 Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) Graduation ceremony. Picture: Twitter/@KZNTransport.
DURBAN - The Public Works ministry says it wants to depoliticise the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) after allegations of political interference.
The programme, which provides employment skills to communities across the country, has recently been faced with allegations of corruption.
Some community members raised concerns about people being in the programme for over 10 years instead of the six months to years period.
READ: Govt's Expanded Public Works Programme may need a rethink, says Macpherson
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the problem started at local government level, where councillors abused their powers in the programme.
"That's a being flagged as big problem, because where you have a single individual determining where opportunities go to, particularly through a ward councillor’s office that creates opportunities for abuse," he said.
Macpherson said he also wanted to stop how some people were hired without proper procedures.
"We've also heard stories of people get asked for their political membership card in order to get a job. That is a problem and that is what we want to stop," he added.
Macpherson said it is time to reconceptualise the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) for transparency.
Various community members and workers in the programme are gathering at the Howick West Hall in Umngeni Local Municipality for a meeting called by the ministry.
Macpherson said that he wanted community members to air their views on their concerns.
"That’s why we are here, we want to hear from communities where it works and where it doesn’t work. It is that sort of input and engagement that will then feed into how we are going to reposition the programme going forward."
The minister added that he wanted to end the wrongdoing in the programme, which included people working longer than the stipulated period.
"We are looking at how do we decentralise that and how do we make it more focus with more transparency, something more of a lottery system that gives people fairness."