Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has requested an urgent investigation into allegations that EPWP applications in Makhuduthamaga Municipality, Limpopo, were processed through a political party.
The investigation follows a widely circulated social media poster in which a political party requested that applications be submitted to it, after which they would be processed and submitted.
The Minister says upcoming EPWP reforms will introduce a transparent, technology driven application system to remove political influence, strengthen oversight, and ensure fair access to opportunities.
The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has requested the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure to urgently investigate allegations that applications for Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) positions in Makhuduthamaga Municipality in Limpopo were being conducted through a political party. This follows a poster that was widely shared on social media, in which the political party requested applications to be submitted to it, after which the applications would be processed and submitted.
The Minister said the allegations are exactly why, more than 20 years after the EPWP programme was launched, he has embarked on a reform programme to remove political interference in the allocation of EPWP positions, including instances where positions are sold or, in the worst cases, exchanged for sex. He said the allegations in Makhuduthamaga Municipality follow similar allegations in Bojanala District Municipality last year, where EPWP participants were allegedly forced to perform domestic chores for a mayoral committee member and pressured to pay political party membership fees for her party.
“It is clear that, more than 20 years after its formation, the EPWP programme needs to be reformed to remove political patronage and interference. It is wholly unacceptable that the EPWP programme, which was always intended to provide short-term employment opportunities, is abused by political parties to secure support, or that people are excluded from receiving opportunities simply because they do not belong to the correct grouping,” Minister Macpherson said.
“It is for this reason that I have requested Department of Public Works & Infrastructure officials to investigate the allegations, verify their validity, and take the appropriate action where required, including withholding EPWP payments to the municipality. EPWP is too important a lifeline for many communities to allow it to be abused by political parties and selfish individuals.”
The Minister said the reforms of the EPWP programme, which will be announced in the coming weeks, will include a transparent, technology driven application process to remove the influence of ward councillors and other politicians on appointments, as well as measures to help ensure that the employment and training the programme offers can translate into permanent opportunities.
“EPWP plays an important role in providing job opportunities to thousands of South Africans across the country, and it is therefore essential that the programme be reformed to ensure that it truly provides participants with a hand-up to permanent employment, while removing any opportunities for abuse. I have no doubt that a reformed EPWP programme will play an important role as we work to develop the skills required to grow South Africa’s economy and build a better country.”
Enquiries:
Spokesperson to the Minister
James de Villiers
Cell: 082 766 0276
#GovZAUpdates
