H Yawa: Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Beneficiaries
Certification Award Function

20 February 2007

Programme Director
Kgosi M.G Moiloa of Bahurutshe Ba Ga Moiloa Traditional Council,
Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Council, Cllr T Gwabeni,
The Mayor of Ramotshiri Moiloa Local Municipality, Cllr MP Pilane,
The Speaker of Ditsobotla Local Municipality, Cllr L Holele,
Councillors,
Head of Department Mr O Mongale,
The Regional Director Mrs T J Mathibe,
Members of the Regional Management Team,
Government officials,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The book titled Poverty in Transition and Transition in Poverty: Recent
Developments in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Russia and Mongolia edited
by Yogesh Atal and published in association with United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) explains how these six countries
experienced poverty and also alludes to the different causes of poverty in
those countries.

It concludes that, "Poverty is an issue facing countries around the globe,
yet it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon caused by a variety of factors,
differing from context to context with no linear chain of cause and effect. The
occurrence and persistence of poverty is influenced by an interrelated web of
economic, social, psychological, cultural, and political factors."

Surely all of us here know that decades of apartheid misrule have left us
with a legacy of infrastructure backlog, unemployment and underdevelopment and
deep poverty particularly in our rural areas. Equally, I believe that all of us
agree with President Thabo Mbeki's assertion in the State of the Nation Address
delivered on the Friday, 9 February 2007, that the country has consolidated
freedom and democracy in the 13 years since the end of apartheid and that the
underlying solution to most of South Africa's problems is economic
prosperity.

President Mbeki mentioned that "None of the great social problems we have to
solve is capable of resolution outside the context of the creation of jobs and
the alleviation and eradication of poverty." By this he was re-emphasising
government's commitment to eradicate poverty and bridging the gap between the
first and second economies. The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is one
of government's priority interventions to correct these discrepancies.

The EPWP was launched in 2004 with an aim to create employment and provide
training by encouraging labour intensive practices in the construction, repair
and maintenance of public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings.
I'm delighted to announce that since the launch of the programme in the
province we have managed to create over 40 000 job opportunities and created 14
000 training opportunities for people who in the past lacked skill and were
thus excluded from participation in the economy. The Age of Hope has through
EPWP opened opportunities for women and young people.

I wish to congratulate the Central Region because two of our Expanded Public
Works Projects implemented within the jurisdiction of the Mafikeng Local
Municipality, i.e. the Integrated Modimola Project and the Semelela Brickmaking
and Paving Project were awarded certificates in recognition of their
exceptional contribution to poverty reduction and community development at the
2006/07 Impumelelo Innovation Awards held this past Saturday in Cape Town.

The commitment of all involved in the projects has defied the pessimism with
which the projects were viewed in their initial pilot stages. We are humbled
and challenged by this recognition to maintain the standard we have set
ourselves to make a difference in service delivery.

I should stress however Programme Director that we still believe that the
success of the Modimola EPWP Project is in our view underrated and that other
provinces could benefit from the unique and integrated strategy we have adopted
to maximise the impact and sustainability of our intervention in poverty
stricken areas.

The invaluable lessons we have drawn from the Integrated Modimola Project
and the exit strategy we have adopted for the 16 learner contractors and 30
learner farmers are indeed ground breaking. Most of the learner contractors
have progressed to a point that they have achieved a Grade 3 rating with the
Construction Industry Development Board as a result of projects allocated to
them to gain experience.

Working with our municipalities and other government departments, we are
developing an exit strategy that would ensure participation of beneficiaries
who have acquired skills through the EPWP beyond training and project
implementation. We call on the private sector to tap into this skilled
workforce as projects that they have delivered attest to their capacity to
deliver quality infrastructure.

As the President said in the State of the Nation Address "over the past
three years, the economy has created some one-and-half million jobs. It is
encouraging that in the year March 2005 to March 2006 alone, 300 000 of the
jobs created were in the formal sector outside of agriculture, representing a
growth rate of about 4%."

No sensible person will dispute the fact that the African National Congress
(ANC) government is making strides pertaining to job-creation and poverty
alleviation. Today we are gathered here at the Barolong Boo-Ratshidi Community
Hall, to witness another achievement and commitment of government of investing
in our people.

The 170 beneficiaries we are awarding certificates today, are part of the
469 who received training from the department throughout the province in the
past year. Their training included soft and hard skills. Soft skills training
included HIV and AIDS Awareness, Managing Personal Finances, Career Guidance
and Occupational Health and Safety. Hard skill straining included: bricklaying,
plastering, carpentry, electrical construction, plumbing, wielding, tiling,
paving and landscaping.

Included in this number are women, youth men and people living with
disabilities. The department with the assistance of ward councillors in the
various municipalities ensured that these training opportunities were evenly
spread amongst community members. We are positive that the R872 722 used for
training beneficiaries will bear the desired fruits. R255 000 was spent on soft
skills training and R617 788 on hard skills.

We are confident that the beneficiaries have acquired skills that have
empowered them for participation in the construction sector and that the
knowledge gained will be put to good use for the benefit of their own private
companies, co-operatives and or future employers.

The graduates constructed the Lehurutshe Training Hall, Ditsobotla District
Offices in Itsoseng and Molopo Training Hall which buildings I am inviting all
of you to visit to experience the quality of their workmanship.

We would not have achieved the success on our own as a department without
the contribution of the Department of Labour and the involvement of the
following service providers:

* Lifeline Community Development
* Leps
* Letsoma Business Enterprise
* Hadifele Training and Development

We appreciate your partnership and commitment to the skills revolution. Some
of the beneficiaries have also demonstrated their determination to succeed as
follows:

* Three groups of beneficiaries from Molopo, Madikwe and Taung are in the
process of registering their Close Corporation in the construction
sector.
* One beneficiary is employed on a part time basis by one of the service
providers as an instructor in the Free State province.
* Some of the beneficiaries were recruited and absorbed in our department's
District Offices.
* Some of the beneficiaries are already employed by contractors.

In short, programme director, all these achievements point that EPWP is in
line with government's intensified efforts to integrate youth development into
the mainstream of government work, including a youth co-operatives
programme.

Lastly, the President has committed government to increase the number of
young people engaged in the National Youth Service by at least 20 000 through
18 government departments and to enrol 30 000 young volunteers in community
development initiatives. The commitment includes the employment of 5 000 young
people as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme in the maintenance of
government buildings.

Provincially Premier Mme Molewa in her State of the Province Address last
Friday announced our participation in the programme. We have as a department
set in motion a process to recruit at least 500 youth for participation in the
National Youth Service through the EPWP and would be working in partnership and
in consultation with the Youth Commission, municipalities, community-based
organisations, traditional leadership and non-governmental organisations to
achieve this target.

As a department we are committed to the skills revolution and we will
indisputably fulfil the Premier's announcement, as it is our contribution to
the realisation of government's objective to eradicate poverty through job
creation and halve unemployment by 2014. We are determined to take the Peoples
Contract to a level where our intergovernmental and public-private partnerships
results in tangible deliverables for our people. The involvement of the
municipalities and the private sector in the exit strategy for EPWP
beneficiaries is very critical for the skills revolution.

I wish to congratulate the beneficiaries for their tireless commitment to
the programme. With the skills gained you will be able to join the labour
market as skilled workers and take advantage of various opportunities that
government has made available to contribute to the country's economy.

As you begin to practice all the skills gained, I urge you to become EPWP
activists. Show other community members the positive gains of being part of the
programme. Encourage them to consult their councillors and find out how they
can become part of the programme.

Ke a leboga.

Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial
Government
20 February 2007