Pretoria - Communities have expressed disappointment that they were often excluded from Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) job opportunities because of patronage and external interference in recruitment process.
This was one of the concerns received by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure during its public consultation process to solicit the views of communities on the imminent EPWP policy. The policy envisages addressing rising unemployment in the country, among other s.
Deputy director for EPWP, Carmen-Joy Abrahams, commended the input by communities. “Your comments (submissions) will guide us as we craft and refine the EPWP so that it tackles the rising unemployment levels. The department is consolidating all submissions and will infuse them into the new EPWP policy.”
Serious issues raised by communities included reviewing current funding mechanisms for the programme for massification of the programme.
People wanted the department to strengthen partnerships in EPWP and address the recruitment of EPWP participants to minimise patronage and interference by external parties.
Lindiwe Nkuna, director for sustainable livelihoods, convergence and compliance, said stakeholders at the roadshows included civil society, labour organisations, government entities and EPWP beneficiaries.
While the department was in the process of eliminating patronage in the recruitment of EPWP workers, the City of Tshwane’s EPWP had long introduced an electronic lottery system for hiring job-seekers. Recently, the municipality conducted an EPWP lottery selection, targeting 7 000 participants to start work from this month.
The selection covered all seven regions of Tshwane.
Pretoria News