Address by the Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Andries Nel, at a visit to site of the Community Work Programme (CWP) in Erasmus in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality during Youth Month on 5 June 2015
Programme Director,
Acting Executive Mayor, Cllr. Mabusela,
Councillors,
Traditional leaders,
Members of the CWP Local Reference Committee,
Members of the Seriti Institute,
Distinguished Guests.
It is wonderful to be with the community of Erasmus and participants in the Community Works Programme.
The Community Work Programme (CWP) was established by government to help deal with the challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This is a caring government that listens to the people. It is a government that helps people to help themselves.
CWP provides an employment safety net for the poorest of the poor. CWP provides a basic level of income security through work. CWP addresses poverty and unemployment while other government policies to create decent work are being implemented. CWP gives special attention to women and young people.
The CWP supplements government’s social grants programme. CWP puts R1,4 billion into the pockets and onto the tables of more than 200 000 participants.
CWP is a community based programme. People in the area help to decide on the kind of work needed. This work could be looking after orphans and vulnerable children, helping sick people, assisting teachers at schools. It could also be looking after children while their parents are at work. It could also involve working with the local police to improve safety and reduce crime.
We will establish at least one CWP site in every local and metropolitan municipality by the end of 2016/17. In 2013/14 there were 148 CWP sites in 140 municipalities. By the end of 2014/15, we added an additional 37 CWP sites in 19 municipalities. There are now 185 sites in 159 municipalities covering 2302 wards.
This financial year we will establish sites in a further 30 municipalities bringing the total number of CWP sites to 220. Over the five years of this administration the CWP will put R5,6 billion into the pockets of the poorest of the poor.
In the past financial year 43 634 CWP participants benefitted from training opportunities offered by the programme. CWP has helped skill participants to start their own sustainable income-generating initiatives.
A partnership with the Amajuba FET College in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province has benefitted 800 CWP participants who have been provided training in Early Childhood Development (ECD), bricklaying, home-based care and community gardening.
A partnership with the University of the North West, 75 CWP participants are currently receiving training as Grade R educators.
Another partnership facilitated through the CWP entails support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the Mahikeng Municipality’s Waste Management Programme.
We are pleased to see the results of these important initiatives.
CWP has created 202 634 work opportunities during the 2014/15 financial year, in the entire country. In Gauteng alone we are reaching 21 294 Participants in 13 sites through CWP. We want to create 1 million work opportunities by 2019.
The Erasmus CWP site started in 2009, with 500 participants. We are pleased that it has grown to 1500 participants.
We congratulate the Local Reference Committee of this site - a dedicated leadership that puts people first. We also comment the Seriti Institute. They are an efficient and experienced Implementing Agent. Most importantly we have a dedicated team of participants who are committed to improving their community.
We applaud the community of Erasmus for taking ownership of the programme. We are particularly impressed with the Youth Mentorship Programme that has been established in this ward.
The month of June is Youth Month. We celebrate the contribution that young people make to our county. We commemorate the June 16 uprising by young people who said enough is enough - we demand our future. We salute the heroic young lions of the South African Youth Congress under the leadership of Peter Mokaba. We salute the heroic youth who joined Umkhonto we Sizwe. President Oliver Tambo said that a nation which does not value its youth does not deserve its future.
We are very happy then that CWP contributes to the development of young people in Erasmus.
We thank the Phaphama Institute for implementing a youth mentorship programme in Erasmus. In Erasmus there are 15 mentors and 80 mentees involved with the CWP site. The programme develops skills such as communication, affirmation, mediation and gender awareness.
We also commend the work done by Football 4 Youth. 25 CWP participants have been trained as football coaches. So far 700 boys and girls have been coached in the programme.
The CWP promotes partnerships because working together we can do more. We acknowledge the Ubuntu-Botho Trust, the University of Pretoria and UNISA for their contributions. We acknowledge the contribution of R200 000 to the site by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane in 2013.
We are very impressed that CWP participants here built a bridge with their own hands using locally made bricks. This bridge enables communities to cross over and have access to other areas. We commit ourselves to assist this site with expertise from our Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA). MISA will bring engineers to see how they can enhance the work that has been done by CWP participants. This will help provide skills to CWP participants who work on projects as building bridges, fixing potholes, paving roads etc.
One of Government’s priorities is to create a society in which everyone is safe and feels safe. The safety of vulnerable groups is a priority - especially the protection of women and children against violence and abuse. The week ending on 7 June is Child Protection Week.
We are impressed that CWP participants have established an Early Development Centre. The centre provides children with a safe environment where they are looked after by CWP participants. Children are our future. We need to nurture them to become good citizens and future leaders.
We thank ABSA Bank and Mercy House Institute for their donations to the Early Childhood Development Centre. We thank the University of Fordham for its exchange programme and contribution to the Centre.
Today, we saw how refuse and plastic bags are turned into valuable goods such as hats; scarves; shoes; bags, mats and other accessories. This work is complemented by the bead work that is done by the CWP participants. We are encouraged by the innovative and creative designs that are on display. It shows the immense talent that we have in our communities. This talent must not be lost.
We appreciate the support given to CWP by the Traditional Council of Erasmus since its inception. You are a shining example of the cooperation we need between local government and traditional leadership.
The community of Erasmus is an excellent example of a community that takes help to help itself. This is a community that is interested in a hand up not a hand out. They grabbed the opportunity and took CWP to greater heights.
This is a government that puts people first. We will continue to support this site. We want to see it grow. We want it to create even more opportunities.
"Together we move South Africa forward!"
For further information please contact:
Mpho Lekgoro
Mobile: 071 607 3081
Email: mphol@cogta.gov.za
