Address by the Deputy Minister of Public Works Ms Bernice Swarts during the celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the EPWP programme in North West Province, Madibeng Local Municipality, Brits Sports Ground, 2 May 2024...

Acting Premier of North West Province, Mr Nono Maloyi;
MEC for Public Works and Roads in North West, Mr Gaoage Oageng Molapisi;
All MECs in attendance;
Mayors and Councillors;
Dikgosi and other traditional leaders present;
Religious leaders;
Senior Government Officials;
Social Partners;
Members of the Media;
EPWP Participants;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen; 

Dumelang! Kgotsong! Lotjhani! Nhlekanhi. Greetings!

Last week on Saturday, South Africa marked exactly thirty years of our democratic breakthrough since 27 April 1994.
Under Founding President Nelson Mandela, our country moved from being an oppressive, pariah state, to a respected, representative, constitutional democracy that enjoys respect of the world.

In his address during his inauguration, Madiba proclaimed, “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all”.
Coming from a divided past rooted in the oppression of the black majority, in 1994 we all embarked on a new journey of reconstruction and development and took a covenant that we will create a united, non-racial and human-centred society.

Anchored on democratic values, equality, and dignity, the Preamble of our constitution enjoins the state and social partners to work together to “improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.”

The 20 Years of the EPWP since its launch in 2004 speaks to the vision of a caring, pro-poor developmental state that addresses the underlying causes of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
Recently, on 24 April 2024, we had the distinct honour to have His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa officiate during the national celebration of the 20 year milestone of the EPWP and launching Phase V of the programme in Buffalo City Metro, Eastern Cape.

Today, as the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, we join the leadership of the Northwest Provincial Government, district municipalities, and the Madibeng Local Municipality to launch the phase V in this province.

We wish to pay tribute to all government departments and agencies for their contribution in making this programme a success.

Equally, we wish to applaud all EPWP participants for grabbing these opportunities and using them to improve your lives.

As we say, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is a government-driven initiative that cushions the vulnerable poor through income transfer by creating work opportunities to alleviate poverty.

These work opportunities contribute in improving community and social cohesion, while addressing social ills and in turn, safeguarding South Africa’s democracy.

Thanks to all stakeholders who are responsible for its successful implementation in at least four sectors.

These are the Infrastructure Sector and the Non-State Sector which are coordinated by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).

The Social Sector is coordinated by the Department of Social Development (DSD) while the Environment and Culture Sector is coordinated by Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).

President Ramaphosa reported that in the past twenty of the EPWP, more than 14 million work opportunities have been created across all EPWP Sectors and through more than 300 public bodies and NPOs implementing the EPWP.

The impact of the EPWP is reflected not just in statistics, but in improving the lives of individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole.

Working together, South Africa had done well to meet its targets. As at 8 April 2004, more than 4 797 000 (4 million, seven hundred and ninety seven thousand) work opportunities have been reported for in EPWP Phase IV to meet the 5 million target set by the 6th Administration.

The Infrastructure sector attained 79%, the Non-State Sector, 98%, Environment, 101%, and the Social Sector leads at 116%, making the overall achievement to date to be at 95%.

The National Development Plan (NDP) recognises the significance of South Africa’s public employment initiatives. It acknowledges that the challenge of unemployment and underemployment is “too big for market-based solutions” to solve. The authors of the NDP were also in agreement that even if South Africa a GDP growth above 5% a year, there would still be a need for the EPWP programme.

As we mark the 20 year milestone of the programme under the theme, “20 YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES AND BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES”, we wish to pay tribute to our government, labour, business and the community constituency which proposed the EPWP as one of the steps to be taken to tackle high unemployment and poverty.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Cabinet has been very firm that the EPWP needs to be reinvigorated so that it can live up to its promise 20 years ago.

Cabinet has given our Department marching orders to ensure that Phase V of the EPWP programme is about scale, impact, and clear exit strategies of the participants.

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, my colleague Mr Sihle Zikalala has insisted that there must be a new dawn in the programme and that Phase V must be business unusual.

The Minister, and indeed our government, have emphasised that:

1. During Phase V, the core focus should gravitate towards crafting pathways of continuous growth, learning, and empowerment.
2. The revitalized DPWI workshops should be crucibles of innovation, skill development, and practical exposure.
3. By integrating National Youth Service graduates into these workshops, government must 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.

The EPWP Phase V was approved by Cabinet on 21 February 2024.

At DPWI, we have since revised APP indicators not to be limited to the coordination function of the department, but also to include the number of work opportunities reported by the DPWI moving forward.

We are also strengthening partnerships with TVET Colleges.

Currently, no less than 50 TVETs  have agreed to partner with EPWP for 3 years,  to provide accredited training  in skills programmes and learnerships to approximately 30 000 participants.

Of the 50 TVETS, 16 have already signed the Service Level Agreements (SLAs). 

We can also report that a multi-party MoU has been signed by Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and South African Public Colleges Organisation (SAPCO).
Alignment of TVETs accreditation and programmes to QCTO is underway.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our beautiful country is still grappling with unacceptably high levels of unemployment rate alongside the slow economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic which has impeded labour market revival, leaving about eight million South Africans unemployed.

Added to this, are approximately 3.5 million discouraged job seekers. Youth unemployment is particularly alarming, reaching more than 50%.

Stats SA reported that in the last quarter of 2023, employment dropped by 22,000, raising the official unemployment rate by 0.2 of a percentage to 32.1%.

This makes the official unemployment rate at 7.9 million people, and the expanded unemployment at 11.7 million.

Young people between 15 and 34 years face greater risks in the labour market.

Notwithstanding many of our challenges, including our high unemployment rate, the number of citizens in employment rose from 8 million in 1994 to over 16.7 million in 2024.

The challenge of unemployment is a global one.

In its 2024 report titled, “World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends”, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) predicts a slight increase in global unemployment this year, pointing to emerging labour market challenges.

The report shows that in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, 145 million people were in extreme working poverty (at the US$2.15 per day threshold, equating to a third of the employed population.) Per capita incomes are expected to grow less than 1 per cent in 2023–24.

Across the world, youth face greater risks. The average unemployment rate was estimated to be 5.8 per cent in 2023, compared with 5.9 per cent in 2019. For youth, the rate is 8.9 per cent. In 2023, around 62 million young people were estimated to be NEET (not in employment, education or training) equating to 25.9 per cent of the global youth population, up from 22.2 per cent in 2013.

The ILO concludes in its report that, “the problems we face are too large and complex for any one group, country or region to solve alone. The policies and actions chosen need to be coordinated and mutually reinforcing, at both country and multilateral levels.”

It is in this regard, that the EPWP remains a relevant and crucial policy instrument to contribute towards reduction of poverty and unemployment. Hence there is need for the continuation of the EPWP and the launch of the 5th Phase of the programme.

Compatriots, we remain encouraged by the evidence and testimonies from stakeholders and EPWP participants. They confirm that the EPWP has a positive bearing on self-determination by participants and strengthens local economies.

It fosters a culture of self-sufficiency given the programme's emphasis on skill development and building of tools needed for future employment and entrepreneurial endeavours.

The programme provides income support to the most needy while restoring their dignity as productive and active citizens.
In Phase V, there will be a greater focus on ensuring that there are clears exit strategies,that participants are better skilled to be employable or start their own enterprises, and above all, the programme will have an impact on improving the delivery of services to communities.

We also wish to thank the Premier of North West, Mayors, and Councillors for their dedication to the call of ensuring that there is bread for all and that no one is left behind as we collectively build the society that Madiba envisaged.

Private enterprises, cooperatives, and civil society that are lending a hand to job creation through the EPWP deserve mentioning.

As our nation faced the global pandemic of COVID-19, catastrophic floods, and a violent civil unrest in July 2021, the President, as our nation’s captain, steered the ship and navigated the stormy seas with aplomb and distinction.

We are beginning to see the signs of hope. In the last two years for instance, the number of jobs being created has been increasing, and South Africa now has more people employed than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) which was launched in October 2020 as a response to the pandemic, our country has seen more than 1.7 million work support opportunities for jobless South Africans created. The majority of beneficiaries are youth and women.

During the State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa recognised that South Africa has since “laid a firm foundation based on the commitments we made for faster growth through our investment drive, economic reforms, public employment programmes and an expanding infrastructure programme.”

While we strengthen our labour intensive employment programmes, we have no doubt that the economic reforms that our government has embarked upon will continue to grow the economy and translate to job creation.

We wish to reiterate the message by the President that this flagship programme must not be associated with corruption, abuse of power, or favouritism.

This is a programme that give work opportunities to all needy and unemployed South African, targeting the youth and women in particular, without regard to political affiliation.

It is in our hands to ensure that through the EPWP, we can tell inspiring stories of hope of the children of democracy, what the President called Tintswalo’s in the State of the Nation Address.

If we work together, we can ensure that the children of Brits, Haartebeespoort Dam, Maboloko, Letlhabile, Kgabalatsane have hope and a chance to develop themselves and improve their lives.

It is them who must be at the forefront of patching potholes, cleaning streets, cleaning government building, renovating office building, painting and beautifying a town like Brits as the town marks a centenary of its  apparent “founding” by Gert Brits on 25 May 1924.

Lend a hand and let us together build the South Africa of our dreams by creating no less than 5-million work opportunities during Phase V as the President has announced.

Let there be work, bread, water, salt and dignity for all.

South Africa Works Because of Public Works!
I thank you!

 Ends

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