Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure outlines the plans to maximise the impact of the Expanded Public Works Programme
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Honourable Sihle Zikalala, has today (10 October 2023) officially opened the two-day Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Phase 5 Indaba which is aimed at “reconceptualization" and “redesigning” of the EPWP of the Future as mandated by the Cabinet. The EPWP Indaba is taking place in Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng.
The EPWP Phase 5 Indaba is held alongside the EPWP Phase 4 challenges and successes which provides data in terms of the work opportunities created and the impact of the Programme in the past four years. As at 06 October 2023, the EPWP has created 610 882 work opportunities which is 58.8% towards reaching its 2023/2024 financial year targets. Overall, for the EPWP Phase 4(2019/20-2023/24), the Programme has cumulatively created over 4.5 million work opportunities against the target of 5 million work opportunities for the period ending March 2024.
In his keynote address, Minister Zikalala indicated that in the midst of structural unemployment, the EPWP remain critical in dealing with the fundamental issues of poverty and unemployment where some of the participants are offered enterprise development as an intervention to empower them for entrepreneurship so that they become self-reliant.
In addition to the work opportunities created by the EPWP, Minister Zikalala emphasised the need for provision of meaningful and impactful projects which should be valuable to the development of participants. The Minister has therefore outlined the following key-points/proposals for critical consideration towards maximising the impact of the EPWP in various South Africans communities in the next five years (2024-2029) as follows:
- Improve coordination and effectiveness of structures implementing the Programme
- Improve the implementation framework from recruitment to the end. Implementation should be blostered through effective monitoring and accountability,
- Define impactful projects. While providing work opportunities and skills, there is a need to contribute towards improving the quality and delivery of services to the people
- Improve training to provide meaningful skills while preserving the cost benefit.
- Ensure proper exit strategies through enterprise development and linking other participants with permanent employment for the participants to be able to become entrepreneurs and also enter the job marker. Well positioned to coordinate and participate in the implementation of the EPWP Phase 5.
The EPWP Indaba has brought together a host of stakeholders from all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to work together in strengthening their partnership in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the EPWP in the next phase.
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