Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa today, 22 July 2015, chaired the inaugural working meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Public Employment Programmes (PEP-IMC) at Orange Farm, Gauteng.
The PEP-IMC is driving government’s effort to create 6 million work opportunities by 2019 through programmes that create jobs for those who cannot find work and that create public goods in the form of new infrastructure or the improvement of existing infrastructure. These programmes also address service delivery challenges.
At its Orange Farm meeting, the IMC committed itself to improved coordination of public employment programmes among local, provincial and national structures in order to sustain progress to date on reaching the target of 6 million. In the 2014/15 financial year, just more than a million work opportunities were created in public employment programmes.
The committee also resolved to pay closer attention to the geographic distribution of such programmes, in order to achieve particular impact in provinces such as Limpopo, the North West, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape where youth unemployment is concentrated. South Africa is among many countries that view public employment programmes as part of ongoing employment and social protection policies.
The IMC will work towards the integration of databases that will enable all partners to know which programmes are in progress in which parts of the country and in which sectors, so that work opportunities can be streamlined and managed in a transparent and productive way.
The committee comprises the Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Public Works, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Environmental Affairs, Social Development, Labour, Higher Education, Finance, Small Business Development, Economic Development and Rural Development and Land Reform.
The meeting received a progress report on implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) by all spheres of government. In this regard, government entities, departments and municipalities are prioritising work and training opportunities for especially for the youth, women and people with disability.
During his visit to Orange Farm, Deputy President Ramaphosa and delegation undertook a walkabout at a skills development centre where computer skills, a community food garden and a clothes bank for families in distress are being implemented.
Following his visit, Deputy President Ramaphosa commended the City of Johannesburg and its partners, including the Department of Cooperative Governance, on the “very inspiring and exciting work” he and the delegation had seen.
“We were impressed by the determination of those working in this project to use this as an opportunity to improve their lives” said Deputy President Ramaphosa. “Many see this work not only as a source of income, but as an opportunity to gain experience and skills that can stand them in good stead in the future.
“We encourage all those working in public employment programmes to seize the opportunities that this work provides for developing their skills and capabilities – and thereby improve their chances of employment beyond the life of the project”
The committee will meet three to four times a year to maintain momentum in providing income to vulnerable individuals and building social cohesion by involving communities in their own development. The committee also views Public Employment Programme as an entry point into entrepreneurship for some participants.
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