“I would like to sincerely thank you again for welcoming me here in Upington in the Northern Cape and for the frank conversations you’ve had with us as we work to reform the Expanded Public Works Programme or EPWP.
Indeed, it is through the testimonies that you have shared today that we will be able to accurately identify the issues faced with the programme, and find solutions to address them.
I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you who has taken the time and effort to join us here today and for bravely sharing your experiences with us.
I know it could not have been easy, but I want to assure you that your contribution will play an important role as we work to reform the programme for future success.
In the months ahead, we will be visiting many more communities like yours in provinces across the country to hear about their experiences and hold frank conversations on how we can rethink and reform the EPWP programme.
Because, I understand that by working with communities such as yours, we will be able to address the biggest challenges facing our society.
We are on a journey to reform EPWP to change the narrative around it, to restore trust in its ability to make a meaningful difference and to ensure that every participant is treated with the dignity they deserve.
Because, I am determined that where something is broken in the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure, it must be fixed.
The days of turning a blind eye to failures in the department have come to an end.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Shortly after I was appointed the Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure 10 months ago, I emphasised the important role EPWP has to play in poverty alleviation and short-term job creation.
Indeed, in the subsequent EPWP listening tours we have held, it has been incredibly encouraging to hear how the programme has provided opportunities to many who had not had them before.
As we have heard today, it is clear that EPWP is an important tool to instil hope, provide work, and bring dignity to millions of South Africans in communities across the country.
It also plays an important role in addressing service delivery challenges, from road maintenance to grass cutting and, in some places, even library services.
The EPWP programme provides the Government of National Unity with a great opportunity to improve service delivery in communities that need it most.
However, let me be clear: based on what I’ve heard today from members of this community, it is clear that EPWP has been vulnerable to abuse for, among others, jobs for pals, corruption, and political patronage.
I’ve simply heard too many allegations in this community to allow the status quo to continue.
As so many people today shared courageously, people in this community have often been let down by a programme which was intended to benefit them.
It is simply unjust to expect recipients to clean streets, repair roads, or maintain parks while a few benefits at their expense.
How will community members ever be able to believe in a programme which was intended to empower them when the abuse and corruption within it are widely known?
How will people ever want to participate in a programme where their personal dignity has been compromised?
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me be clear: Allegations of jobs-for-pals, intimidation - or even worse - sexual exploitation are unacceptable.
I will not stand by and allow this conduct to happen, and where any official is found guilty, I will take the strongest action possible.
This is why it is imperative that we build a better EPWP programme where these abuses are eliminated.
No one should be denied a job because they aren’t aligned with a particular political party. The EPWP should benefit everyone, irrespective of their language or background.
One of the best ways I believe we can achieve that goal is through improving the transparency of how people are appointed and given an opportunity in this programme.
The days when people who are friends of councillors, or who hold political party cards, are over.
There are so many people who work tirelessly in the EPWP programme for minimal compensation, and it’s therefore unacceptable for some to exploit this system.
We have also learned today how EPWP, which was always designed to be a temporary stepping stone, has become a lifeline of survival for many.
It was always intended to be a short-term mechanism which was able to provide recipients with the skills and experience to find employment elsewhere.
However, due to South Africa’s dismal unemployment situation, thousands of people have come to rely on the programme as their only source of income.
This is why we are working to reform the EPWP programme to address these problems head- on.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My vision for EPWP is one where recipients are able to meaningfully gain skills which they can use to climb the ladder of opportunity and build a long-term future anchored in dignity for their family.
Training and economic advancement must be a key outcome for each recipient of the EPWP.
It must be the stepping stone towards a life of dignity, not a burden that keeps one trapped in poverty for life.
It is essential that EPWP recipients leave the programme better off than when they entered.
Because, it is clear to me that cutting grass or picking up litter for the rest of your life is not the future you have dreamed of.
And, the wages from EPWP are simply not sufficient to live on in the long term.
This is why we need to reform the programme to ensure that recipients are either able to find better-paid permanent employment or have the skills to start businesses in their communities.
We want employers to recognise that EPWP participants are equipped with skills and experience that prepare them for permanent employment.
In this regard, I believe we can partner with the private sector to help train recipients on construction sites across the country, and thereby provide them with opportunities for permanent employment.
This skills transfer would also play an important role in resolving the construction artisan shortage experienced in many places across the country.
I have no doubt that we will be able to realise this vision through fresh thinking and new policies by having frank conversations such as the ones which took place here today.
One of the fresh approaches I believe we can take is to better track the progress we achieve in EPWP.
I want to move to a system where we are able to in real-time on dashboards track how much money has been spent, and how many opportunities have been created in each province, city, and town.
This will allow us to monitor the progress we are making. Ladies and gentlemen,
By implementing these reforms, we believe the EPWP can play an even better role in improving conditions in our communities and, more importantly, making a significant impact on our country’s high unemployment rate.
I know that for our vision to succeed, we will need a political champion who drives this reform process forward.
And, you have my full commitment that I am determined to be that champion.
As a department, we will not rest until we have attended to the concerns you have raised here today.
It is time to turn a new page on the EPWP and build it into something communities can be proud of.
The days of abuse within the EPWP will come to an end.
Thank you again to the community of Upington for warmly welcoming us and for sharing your experiences.
I promise your voices will not go unheard.
And thank you to the MECs, Mayors and councillors who have joined us here today. I look forward to working with you as we work to better serve our communities.
Today, I am more motivated than ever to reform the EPWP programme and transform it into one that truly benefits all of South Africa.
As you depart today, I want to assure you that we are committed to building a better EPWP, so we can build a better South Africa.
Now is the time to build South Africa. Let us go forward and fix the EPWP.
Let us build it into a better programme that benefits all South Africans. Let us build South Africa.
Thank you.”
Enquiries
James de Villiers
Ministry of DPWI Spokesperson
Cell: 082 766 0276
