Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has vowed to reform the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) following serious allegations of abuse, exclusion, exploitation by politicians and officials, and recent claims of corruption in the hiring process.
The Minister’s comments came after hearing first-hand accounts from EPWP recipients during his countrywide listening tour, which aims to identify issues and improve the programme.
The visit to uMngeni in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday revealed troubling stories of how the EPWP is being manipulated for political gain, with jobs allegedly "sold" for money or loyalty.
There were also claims of women being exploited through power dynamics, while many recipients lacked proper training to transition into permanent employment.
“I have always maintained that the EPWP is an important tool to alleviate poverty while providing people with work opportunities.
‘’However, the abuse I’ve heard about in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal cannot be ignored,” Macpherson said.
“There are stories of people being excluded because they didn’t know the right councillor or official. These practices are simply unacceptable, and they need to end.”
Macpherson’s tour, which has already covered the Eastern Cape, will continue across all nine provinces.
The minister emphasised that the feedback gathered from communities will inform his plans for reforming the programme.
His goal is to ensure EPWP becomes a vehicle for skills transfer, offering recipients a real path to permanent employment.
“We need to fix what is broken,” he added.
“We can no longer continue with programmes that communities consistently complain about. It’s time to listen to their concerns and make the necessary changes so that the EPWP can help us build a better South Africa.’’
IOL Politics