The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has commended all stakeholders who took the time to submit comments on the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Policy during an extensive public consultation process.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department said it received an overwhelming number of inputs from various stakeholders on the EPWP Policy.
The EPWP is a medium- to long-term government funded programme that promotes the use of labour-intensive methods to create work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans.
The majority of submissions were submitted orally during the consultation sessions held from 19 September – 14 October 2022.
“DPWI commends all South Africans who took part in the public consultation process on the EPWP Policy. Your comments (submissions) will guide us as we work on crafting the EPWP of the future and refining the programme so that it tackles the rising unemployment levels in our country.
“The department is currently consolidating all submissions and will infuse them into the new EPWP Policy that we are working on,” Deputy Director for EPWP, Carmen-Joy Abrahams, said.
Abrahams thanked all EPWP officials, who worked tirelessly to ensure the successful rollout of the public consultations process.
The Director for Sustainable Livelihoods, Convergence and Compliance, Lindiwe Nkuna, said the EPWP Policy will embody all the legal frameworks that control and operate the workings of the programme.
The department hosted the countrywide EPWP Policy Consultation Roadshows, where oral submissions were solicited from various stakeholders.
These roadshows took place in all nine provinces and solicited views from various stakeholders on how to craft and refine the EPWP of the future.
The stakeholders, who attended the roadshows, included civil society, labour organisations, government entities, EPWP participants and community members who have an interest in the EPWP.
During the same period, the DPWI also called on all South Africans who were interested in the EPWP Policy to also submit their written comments.
Some of the submissions made by the community on the EPWP Policy are on:
• Institutionalisation of EPWP across all the various spheres of government.
• Reviewing current funding mechanisms for the programme for the massification of the programme.
• Strengthening partnerships in EPWP.
• Addressing the recruitment of EPWP participants to minimise patronage and interference by external parties.
About the EPWP
The EPWP not only contributes to poverty alleviation and reduction of unemployment through the creation of work and opportunities for the unemployed, it also assists in the delivery of community beneficial assets and services.
EPWP participants work in different projects such as Community Work Programme (CWP), Early Childhood Development Programmes, Home Community Based Care Programmes, Extra School Support Programmes, Working on Fire, Working for Water, and Roads Maintenance Projects, etc.
Through various skills and training that the participants receive from the EPWP, the participants stand a better chance to enter the formal job market and/or become entrepreneurs.
Source: South African Government News Agency