Deputy Minister of Public Works, Honourable Jeremy Cronin,
Gauteng MEC of Infrastructure Development, Honourable Nandi Mayathula-Khoza,
North West MEC of Public Works, Honourable Madoda Sambatha,
Acting Director Gemeral and Senior Managers and from various government departments,
Leaders and representatives of the civil society and private sector partners.
Let me start by apologising for arriving late at this important workshop. At 7h00 this morning, I started with an unannounced visit to the Honeydew Police Station, a place described by newspapers early this week as the most dangerous place in Gauteng. I got terribly delayed there as we ploughed through police statistics and discuss the turnaround strategy which is already yielding positive results in just six months. Once more, please accept my profuse apology.
I would like to thank the Deputy Minister, Cde Jeremy Cronin for inviting us to come and welcome you all to this 4th EPWP Summit and say a few remarks.
Our country has come a very long way since the introduction of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to cushion the impact of rampant unemployment and poverty through work and skills development opportunities.
Although we benefitted from the international experience, our EPWP has been the most unique and significantly innovative. We broadened the scope of public works activity beyond construction and traditional infrastructure, to include the social and environmental sectors. More importantly, the programme acquired a more community-driven approach.
From the experience gained so far, we can still do better at coordination of the multi-sectoral initiatives under the umbrella of EPWP. And this is what the 3rd phase of EPWP seeks address, amongst others.
The success of the programme
The programme has been widely acclaimed and has been successful. Several millions (about 6 million to be precise) of our people have participated in this programme since its launch. They have changed the circumstances of their communities by providing a socially useful work – whose value to communities and indeed to the country cannot be simply measured in monetary terms. From creating community assets, eradicating illiteracy, taking for children, the sick, to building township and village enterprises and protecting the environment.
This is the dimension of the programme that is rarely told and largely ignored by mainstream media. I want to believe that we in government can do better in communicating the social and economic usefulness of this so- called ‘temporary work’.
Not only did EPWP enables our people to change the circumstances of their communities, in the process it transforms the participants themselves. When they first entered the programme many had long period out of work and lost skills and work experience. Others never had worked for income
either at self-employment or for a wage and lack skills. Their participation in the programme clearly had impact on themselves as well.
Again, this is an area that is not profiled out – to understand how many, as result of being participants, found path ways to self-employment, skills development, collective action and so on.
Having said this, I believe we must address seriously the question of selection of participants in the programme – which has been problematic has been at times problematic and a source of divisions within our communities. We need to free the selection of participations from patronage and manipulation.
EPWP and ‘social economy’
A greater part of what we are doing through EPWP is what is also known as the ‘social economy’ in Europe or ‘solidarity economy’ in Latin America.
According to recent book edited by Ash Amin, The Social Economy, International Perspectives on Economic Solidarity, social economy can be understood largely as a social and enterprise activity largely in the hands of community-based organisations that gives priority to meeting the social needs (and environmental) before profit maximization.
Typically this would include community-based organisations and providing crèche facilities to low-wage families in a township or worker-owned enterprise or co-operative enterprise making goods for recycling materials.
This type of activities have been considered residual or marginal or at best a temporary solution in communities and spaces ravaged by structural unemployment and poverty. They was not expected to contribute in any significant way to job creation and economic development. Successful co-op enterprises in some countries like Spain and Italy were considered success against the grain of private-sector centrality. The 3rd phase of the EPWP will contribute to changing radically the status of these kinds of activities.
In the context of Gauteng, we have placed these activities at the centre of our efforts revitalise and transform what we call the Township Economy in which 80% of the population of Gauteng resides. The township economies are primary sites for co-operation and solidarity of its actors who are largely micro-enterprises, co-operations non-profit and community-based organisations. Our Township economy revitalisation strategy will aim to provide linkages with initiatives like EPWP and Tshepo 500,000.
Finally, through initiatives such as upscaled EPWP, Tshepo 500 000 and the revitalization of the township economy, we can build momentum and push forward to radical economic and social transformation. It this linkages and coordination between various social and economic interventions that focus on the poor households and vulnerable individuals that will help us to reach those who need state assistance most.
At times, those who have the comfort of a job or an income often underestimate the impact of the EPWP on economically depressed communities and socially deprived individuals. Being able to put bread on the table, getting equipped with skills and having an opportunity to gain work experience while repairing infrastructure and protecting the environment is very satisfying and dignifying for participants.
The relationship between government and working class communities and eliminate sense of alienation and a sense of distance between them and government. So we have expectations that this Summit would clarify and set out a new and fresh approach to EPWP and we are looking forward to its results and report.
In Gauteng, we will launch the EPWP Phase III on 11 December 2014. We want to increase the size and impact on the programme in our province and ensure greater coordination with municipalities and national government. The EPWP programme will play a key role in the renewal of infrastructure in the old townships, the creation of green spaces in our townships and informal settlements currently being upgraded and the cleaning of rivers and streams across the province.
We welcome you and wish this Summit success.
I thank you!
