Public works

Department of Public Works (DPW)
Expanded Public Works Programme

 

Department of Public Works (DPW)

The DPW is mandated to be the custodian and portfolio manager of national government’s immovable assets.

Following the operationalisation of the Property Management Trading Entity, the department’s role will now be policy formulation, coordination, regulation and oversight relating to the provision of accommodation and expert built environment services to client departments at the national government level; as well as, through the Property Management Trading Entity, the planning, acquiring, managing and disposing of immovable assets in the department’s custody.

The DPW is further mandated to coordinate and provide strategic leadership in job creation initiatives through the implementation of the EPWP. Public works is constitutionally designated as a concurrent function exercised by both the national and provincial spheres of Government.

Expanded Public Works Programme

The EPWP is a government initiative aimed at alleviating poverty and unemployment within the South African communities through the provision of short term to medium term work opportunities to unskilled and unemployed South Africans.

The EPWP participants’ employment period is determined by the project implementation period. Besides, the number of work opportunities created, the programme has successfully made a significant socio-economic impact to the communities through the creation and maintenance of community assets.

The EPWP’s training focus, which is in partnership with a number of training providers, remains as one of the most significant parts of the programme.

To date, the programme has created a total of 3.5 million work opportunities in the infrastructure, social, environment and culture sectors, in line with the demand for labour. The department aims to create a further 4.4 million work opportunities through the programme over the MTEF period through transfers and subsidies to public bodies, such as provinces, municipalities and non-profit organisations, amounting to an estimated R7.7 billion.

Source: South Africa Yearbook 2018/19

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