EPWP protests ‘highlight need for reform’

There is an urgent need for reform in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said in response to the ongoing protest by hundreds of former employees in eThekwini.

Workers employed under the EPWP have taken to the streets of eThekwini from Tuesday to protest against the sudden termination of their contracts, saying that they have been subjected to exploitation through the continued renewal of short-term contracts, which denied them the job security and stability they deserved.

“The EPWP programme was always designed to be a short-term programme to give recipients work experience and training in order for them to find permanent employment. However, due to the stubbornly high unemployment rate in South Africa, many have grown dependent on the programme, having been employed as an EPWP worker for many years.

“As mentioned during the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) budget speech last week, it is therefore imperative that the EPWP programme be reimagined to become skills outcomes-based which leads to South Africans climbing up the opportunity ladder, rather than being stuck in EPWP for years on end,” said Macpherson.

He condemned the acts of violence or damage to public property during the protest, especially as these actions have hindered essential municipal services such as waste removal.

Simo Mbatha, an EPWP worker, said he had been part of the programme for seven years and many promises had been made that there would be permanent jobs.

“On July 12, we got to work and were told that our contract have ended. We already knew that it was due to end in June but we believed it would be renewed as usual. We were then told that July 15 was our last day.”

This week the municipality announced that it was set to receive an R18.79 million incentive grant from the DPWI for the 2024/25 financial year. This figure marks a stark reduction of R42m from the previous year’s allocation. Consequently, the number of EPWP participants will be reduced from 4 155 to just 1 276.

Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the transfer of the Department of Public Works to the DA following the formation of the Government of National Unity had brought changes.

“The problem is that some of these people are ghost workers – they were not working but getting paid. There is a lot of corruption in that programme and I think the DA wants to be seen to be sticking to its election promise of fixing the mess that is in government, so they identified this area as one that needs to be fixed.”

He said the corruption of the ANC was now being exposed.

“Because they have been in the programme for so long, it gave these people a sense of entitlement. Some of these people are members of the ANC who were being rewarded for being members of the ANC,” said Ndlovu.

Cosatu KZN secretary Edwin Mkhize said they were aware that some members of the EPWP had been part of the programme longer than was necessary.

“If the employer neglects the EPWP policy framework, there will be problems because if you are employed to serve two years and you serve 10, you develop an expectation that you are going to get employed,” said Mkhize.

The Mercury

• Cut in EPWP funding sparks unrest