Delivering More Jobs and Skills Without Political Interference

Statement by Edwin Macrae Bath MP – DA Deputy Spokesperson on Public Works and Infrastructure:

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) was designed as a short-term employment and skills development initiative, equipping South Africans with practical experience and improving access to sustainable work opportunities.

As one of the largest employment programmes in the country, EPWP has the potential to reach millions and serve as a bridge to greater economic participation.

Yet this potential has too often been undermined. Across the country, the programme has been weakened by political interference, mismanagement, and abuse, from irregularities within implementing agencies to the manipulation of beneficiary lists at municipal level. These failures deny fair access to opportunity and disadvantage those the programme was meant to serve.

Every instance of misuse is a missed opportunity, a job not created, a skill not developed, a life not improved.

A renewed reform agenda under Minister Dean Macpherson and the 7th Administration is focused on restoring the integrity of EPWP by rooting out corruption and eliminating political interference.

This is about ensuring that opportunity is accessible to all, restoring fairness in allocation, protecting public resources, and ensuring the programme reflects the full diversity of South Africans it is meant to serve.

Where misuse or allegations arise, the Department will investigate and require corrective action from municipalities, provinces, and national departments. Where there is failure to comply, intervention will follow.

The message is clear, administer EPWP funds responsibly so the programme can reach as many South Africans as possible, or face corrective measures.

If properly managed, EPWP can deliver far more skills, far more jobs, and far greater opportunity for South Africans.