Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala will lead a targeted roadshow to ten public bodies that have recorded the largest year-on-year decreases in reported Expanded Public Works Programme work opportunities.
The identified public bodies range from national and provincial government departments to local municipalities and will be engaged to establish the reasons for the declines and agree on practical interventions to reverse the trend
Minister Macpherson said the roadshow forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing work to reform and improve the EPWP so that it creates more meaningful work and skills-development opportunities for South Africans who need them most.
The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, and Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala will lead an intervention roadshow to ten public bodies identified as having recorded the largest year-on-year decreases in reported Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) work opportunities during the 2025/26 financial year. The public bodies, which range from national and provincial government departments to local municipalities, were identified through an analysis of work opportunities reported during the 2025/26 financial year compared with the previous financial year.
The roadshow will provide the Minister and Deputy Minister with an opportunity to engage the political and administrative leadership of each public body, understand the factors contributing to the decline and agree on targeted recovery measures to strengthen implementation. The engagements will examine matters including project pipelines, available funding, implementation capacity, institutional coordination and the accuracy and completeness of reporting.
Where challenges are identified, the Department will work with the affected public bodies to develop appropriate support and intervention plans.
Minister Macpherson said the engagements would be focused on finding solutions and ensuring that every participating public body is able to maximise the EPWP’s potential to create meaningful opportunities.
“This roadshow is not intended to name and shame public bodies. It is intended to understand why reported work opportunities have declined, identify the obstacles preventing stronger implementation and work together to reverse the trend. Behind every work opportunity is a South African seeking an income, practical experience and a pathway towards greater economic participation. We therefore cannot simply accept these declines without engaging the affected public bodies to understand what has changed and what must be done differently,” Minister Macpherson said.
“This forms part of the broader work we are doing to reform and strengthen the EPWP so that it delivers maximum benefit to participants and greater value to the communities it serves. We are committed to ensuring that the programme continues to play a meaningful role in poverty alleviation, work-opportunity creation and skills development, while providing participants with clearer pathways towards longer-term economic opportunities.”
Deputy Minister Zikalala said cooperation between the Department and implementing public bodies would be essential to improving performance and expanding the programme’s reach.
“The EPWP depends on cooperation across all spheres of government. Through these engagements, we will establish what support each institution requires, identify the practical constraints affecting implementation and agree on clear actions to restore and increase the number of work opportunities being created,” Deputy Minister Zikalala said.
“The purpose is to help public bodies overcome the challenges they face while ensuring that they remain accountable for delivering opportunities to the communities they serve. Each engagement must result in a practical recovery plan with clear responsibilities and measurable actions that can be monitored over time. By combining targeted support with stronger accountability, we can improve implementation, strengthen reporting and ensure that more deserving South Africans benefit from the programme.”
Enquiries:
James de Villiers
Spokesperson to Minister Macpherson james.devilliers@dpw.gov.za
082 766 0276
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