Work initiative begins in Joburg

Johannesburg -

Various areas of Soweto were coloured yellow while government officials, co-operative business staff and workers took part in the first official work day of Jozi@Work.

Joburg mayor Parks Tau yesterday met workers who are part of the Jozi@Work initiative, which aims to improve service delivery and create jobs in Joburg’s 11 regions.

Co-operative businesses (co-ops) are small businesses or entrepreneurs who have partnered with the City of Joburg to help service delivery to become community orientated.

A co-op will then employ people living in the area, creating job opportunities for its own community.

Some of the jobs include waste recycling, street cleaning, parks and illegal dumping areas, and helping to fix and maintain roads.

Tau, together with Deputy Minister of Public Works Jeremy Cronin and the MMC for environment and infrastructure Matshidiso Mfikoe, visited three sites in Soweto, where co-op workers (all clad in yellow overalls) started their first day of cleaning up illegal dumping sites and Soweto’s streets. Workers had been trained for a month before the first phase got under way yesterday.

Mfikoe said the aim of Jozi@Work was to create and build businesses and foster relationships between communities and the city, and through this, create employment.

Tau told The Star: “Co-operative businesses will tap into what people from different communities have to offer their particular community. Co-ops will be responsible for their own environment and the quality of work. They will be accountable to the City of Joburg, and communities can come and say, ‘they didn’t do their job, we’re not happy with the co-op’, and we will deal with it.”

The Star spoke to some of the workers, who were happy and grateful to have some form of employment.

Soweto resident Elizabeth Kekana said: “This is great for us, the youth in Soweto. Some of us weren’t working and we’re hoping this will be long term.”

Another Soweto resident, Ntswako Leepha, said she had learnt “the importance of recycling and cleanliness”.

“This also teaches me to love yourself and everything around you, especially if it’s South African,” she said.

Lindiwe Mosia said she was excited to join Jozi@Work because it was important to keep the community and area clean.

“Things need to look nice. This is where we live and we must take care of it,” she said.

The budget for this year’s rollout was about R1 billion. This will increase to R3.2bn in the new financial year.

“We’re hoping to create about 2 000 permanent jobs in the next two years,” Tau said.

The Star