Plans to improve work programme
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson said the Expanded Public Works Programme had allegedly been used as an opportunity to give jobs to boyfriends and girlfriends, and to people who have membership cards of certain political parties.
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is an opportunity to give jobs to people with membership cards of certain political parties.
This was alleged by the Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, at the Port Shepstone Civic Centre late last year.
Macpherson said they are going to change the way EPWP has been working.
He said for far too long, the programme has allegedly been used as an opportunity to give jobs to boyfriends and girlfriends and to people who have membership cards of certain political parties.
“We are saying no more. We will make sure that EPWP is not just about paying R150 per day for three months. We are going to make the programme bigger and better. We are going to make it about skills so that when people leave the programme, they can find jobs to give them a life of dignity because cutting grass for 10 years is not a life of dignity,” he said.
The minister, who is also the DA KZN chairperson, was speaking during a report-back session on the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).
DA members such as KZN MEC of Finance, Francois Rodgers, Deputy speaker of the KZN Legislature Mmabatho Tembe and KZN MEC of Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer attended the session.
Macpherson said they would also ensure that projects are built on time and budget.
He said it was not good enough that the government started a new community centre, clinic or police station, but after 10 years, they are still building the facility.
“We plan to make it easier for businesses to work with us on our infrastructure projects. Private businesses are not the enemy. For too long, we were told that businesses are the enemy of progress in this country. I believe the government is the enemy of progress in this country. We must stop allowing the government to get in the way of progress and job creation. Our daily obsession is growth and jobs; we need our economy to grow and our people to get jobs. These are not just declarations; they are actions that we are taking to improve lives in the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rodgers said the report-back session was part of a roadshow to update their structures and voters on what is happening in the GPU.
He said from a finance perspective, the GPU was going well.
Rodgers said it was not easy, saying that they are in a difficult financial position.
“I am teaching the province how to be fiscally disciplined, and it is working well. We are saving money, which is great. The four parties involved (ANC, IFP, DA and NFP) have a good understanding that we need to deliver on our promises in the May elections,” he said.
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