The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has become open to abuse, says Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson, despite it also being an “important stop-gap opportunity to many people caught in the cycle of poverty”.

Macpherson spoke during the launch of the EPWP ‘listening tour’ in the Eastern Cape.

The EPWP was launched in 2003.

“It is essential as government that we do not simply change programmes without listening to communities about the issues they are experiencing,” said Macpherson.

“Equally, it is important that we do not continue with the same programmes, administration after administration, without honestly reviewing their success.

“The EPWP has been a vital tool in the State's arsenal to address the plight of poverty in many communities, while at the same time improving service delivery through road repairs, grass cutting and street cleaning.”

“However, it is evident that the programme is ripe for reform. There are simply too many allegations of political patronage, jobs-for-pals, and corruption within the programme for it to continue without intervention.”

Macpherson said it was necessary to build a better EPWP that was safeguarded from such abuses.

“The best way we can do this is through transparency in how people are appointed and given an opportunity in the programme.

“We cannot simply allow people who are friends or hold political party cards to be selected repeatedly for the EPWP.”

Macpherson acknowledged that while the EPWP was designed only as a stepping stone to permanent employment, it had become a lifeline for many people.

“It was intended to be a short-term mechanism, empowering recipients with skills or experience for employment elsewhere.

“Yet, due to our country’s dire unemployment situation, many have come to rely on it as their sole source of income.

“If something is broken, you must fix it. Cutting grass or picking up litter for the rest of your life is not the future you have dreamed of.

“Let me be clear: the wages from the EPWP are not sufficient to live on long term.

“We need to reform the programme to ensure that recipients are better paid through permanent jobs; the EPWP can be either a gateway to the private sector, or act in partnership with the private sector.

“There is something for us to learn from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, where we can leverage the budget allocated for the EPWP to work with the private sector to bring more people into better paid and well-trained employment opportunities.”

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure launched Phase V of the EPWP in April this year.

It covers the period from 2024 to 2029 and aims to create five-million job opportunities.

Some of the focus sectors in Phase V are waste management, with recycling being the focal point; road paving; pothole patching; and the maintenance of public facilities.