Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala and his deputy Bernice Swarts will on Tuesday host the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Indaba in Pretoria.

The two-day indaba will be an interactive session aimed at the 'reconceptualisation' and 'redesigning' of the ‘EPWP of the Future’.

The indaba will also reflect on the EPWP Phase 4 and plan ahead for Phase 5 of the programme.

“The EPWP Indaba will bring together a host of stakeholders from all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector to brainstorm on the formulation of the EPWP Phase 5 business plan, which will be presented to Cabinet before the end of the year,” the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure said in a statement.

Last year, the DPWI developed the EPWP Policy, which was approved by Cabinet on 31 August 2022 for public consultation.

The EPWP is one of the government’s strategies to alleviate poverty through the creation of work opportunities using labour-intensive methods.

It is implemented in four sectors namely: infrastructure, social, environment and culture, and non-State.

All spheres of government and State-owned entities are expected to implement the programme.

EPWP participants (beneficiaries) work on different projects such as the Community Work Programme (CWP), Early Childhood Development, Home Community Based Care, Extra School Support, Working on Fire, Working for Water and roads maintenance projects, among others.

The development and gazetting of the EPWP policy follows years of extensive engagements by DPWI and various stakeholders who are participating in the implementation of the EPWP.

The purpose of the EPWP Policy is to refocus the Public Employment Programme agenda of government, with policy positions and programmes of action that are clearly defined, implementable and enforceable.

Source: South African Government News Agency