Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has called for the restructuring of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to make it more responsive to the country’s development needs.
The Minister was addressing the two-day EPWP Phase 5 Indaba in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Zikalala emphasised that youth unemployment is still the most pressing issue across the globe, and was worsened by the devastation emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The South African youth is disproportionately affected, constituting a huge portion of the unemployed youth that feels left out,” Zikalala said.
In the same vein, the Minister said the challenges that have compromised the EPWP must be dealt with.
“…The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure cannot afford to relegate its mandate to be limited to merely reporting on targets than being actively involved itself in creating job opportunities,” Zikalala said.
The Minister said ultimately, the EPWP must lead to enhanced future employability, self-employment, and cooperatives or enterprises that can employ more people.
“Our goal goes beyond employment generation. It is about nurturing a skilled, self-reliant populace that contributes constructively to our nation’s socio-economic fabric.
“By integrating NYS [National Youth Service] graduates into these workshops, we aim to foster a culture of continuous learning and hands-on experience, ensuring our youth are not just employable, but are drivers of innovation and change.
“Our initiative to absorb some of the NYS graduates from the EPWP into the DPWI workshops is thus a cornerstone of this vision,” Zikalala said.
Breaking unemployment barriers
The Minister said some young adults, now in their 40s, have never had the opportunity to work.
“Youth unemployment is still the most pressing issue across the globe, and this was worsened by the devastation emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate remains stubbornly high at 32.6% in South Africa.
“Last month, the United Nations joined many others to describe our unemployment picture as a ticking time bomb,” the Minister said.
He said the country’s fiscal standing must be used as a “call to arms” for fostering a culture of effective coordination across all spheres of government.
“It is also an invitation to collectively devise funding mechanisms that are not just effective, but sustainable.”
EPWP of the Future
According to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the two-day indaba will be an interactive session aimed at the reconceptualisation and redesigning of the EPWP of the Future.
The indaba has brought 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.
Last year, the DPWI developed the EPWP Policy and it was approved by Cabinet on 31 August 2022 for public consultation.
The EPWP is one of 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.