Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works has commended the Limpopo province for being awarded the second best performing province for its projects under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Today, the Committee concludes its week-long oversight visit to the province. The visit was part of the Committee’s oversight programme to assess progress made on Phase II of the EPWP and the implementation of the Government Immovable Asset Management Act, 19, of 2007 (GIAMA).
The main objective of the Act is to “provide for a uniform framework for the management of an immovable asset that is held or used by a national or provincial department”.
The Committee discovered that most municipalities were not complying with GIAMA as they did not have asset registers. This was of concern to the Committee and the Chairperson (Mrs Catherine Mabuza), as it could lead to the disappearance of government’s assets. She said it was important for all municipalities to complete an asset register to help the country reach its 2014 deadline of having a comprehensive Asset Register.
The Committee visited more than 15 EPWP projects in the area and found that even though some were fully functional, others experienced huge challenges. Mrs Mabuza said that it was disappointing to find that some projects, for example, those falling under the Social Sector, were paying the beneficiaries less than the stipulated stipend of R63.18 per day as per the ministerial determination.
The Committee is also concerned that in some projects, the beneficiaries are not trained. “It’s concerning because beneficiaries need to be equipped with skills as to empower them long after the projects has ended,” she said. According to the Committee, training will equip them with life-long skills that will help them alleviate poverty.
The Committee also observed that some municipalities were not well informed about the requirements of the EPWP, particularly using labour intensive methods on projects instead of machines were possible, and developing the skills of beneficiaries. The Committee says more rigorous training (for officials) is needed to address these issues.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Kanyisa Ndyondya
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 083 624 0585
E-mail: kndyondya@parliament.gov.za
Committee concludes oversight visit to Limpopo
