In a speech delivered in Upington in the Northern Cape province, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has committed himself to reforming the country’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and to being its political champion. The EPWP provides people in poor communities with job and skills development opportunities.

“[B]ased on what I’ve heard today from members of this community, it is clear that EPWP has been vulnerable to abuse for, among others, jobs for pals, corruption and political patronage. I’ve simply heard too many allegations in this community to allow the status quo to continue,” he affirmed. “Let me be clear: allegations of jobs-for-pals, intimidation or – even worse – sexual exploitation are unacceptable. I will not stand by and allow this conduct to happen, and where any official is found guilty, I will take the strongest action possible. This is why it is imperative that we build a better EPWP where these abuses are eliminated. No one should be denied a job because they aren’t aligned with a particular political party. The EPWP should benefit everyone, irrespective of their language or background. … The days when people who are friends of councillors, or who hold political party cards, [benefit] are over. There are so many people who work tirelessly in the EPWP for minimal compensation, and it’s therefore unacceptable for some to exploit this system.”

Despite these abuses, he highlighted that the EPWP had indeed provided many people with opportunities that they would never otherwise have had. It provided hope and dignity to millions of people across the country. And it helped meet challenges in service delivery to local communities, ranging from grass cutting to road maintenance to, yes, library services.

However, it was always meant to be a first rung on the ladder of opportunity for the participants. It would be a short-term engagement to provide them with the experience and skills to find jobs elsewhere. But it often hasn’t worked out that way. Because of the country’s high unemployment rate, thousands of people had become dependent on the EPWP as their only source of income. This was trapping people in poverty. Consequently, the EPWP had to be reformed so that it really did become a gateway to a better life instead of a cul-de-sac.

“My vision for EPWP is one where recipients are able to meaningfully gain skills which they can use to climb the ladder of opportunity and build a long-term future anchored in dignity for their family. Training and economic advancement must be a key outcome for each recipient of the EPWP. It must be the stepping stone towards a life of dignity, not a burden that keeps one trapped in poverty for life. It is essential that EPWP recipients leave the programme better off than when they entered,” he asserted. “[W]e need to reform the programme to ensure that recipients are either able to find better-paid permanent employment or have the skills to start businesses in their communities. We want employers to recognise that EPWP participants are equipped with skills and experience that prepare them for permanent employment. In this regard, I believe we can partner with the private sector to help train recipients on construction sites across the country, and thereby provide them with opportunities for permanent employment. This skills transfer would also play an important role in resolving the construction artisan shortage experienced in many places across the country.”

This could be achieved through new thinking and policies, developed through frank discussions with communities (such as in Upington). One idea, that Macpherson suggested, was that the department instituted a system allowing the real-time tracking, on dashboards, of how much money had been disbursed and how many job opportunities created, in each province, city and town. This would allow progress to be monitored.

“By implementing these reforms, we believe the EPWP can play an even better role in improving conditions in our communities and, more importantly, making a significant impact on our country’s high unemployment rate,” he stated. “I know that for our vision to succeed, we will need a political champion who drives this reform process forward. And, you have my full commitment that I am determined to be that champion.”