Public Works Minister takes action against alleged political abuse in Matjhabeng's EPWP
EPWP payments frozen in Matjhabeng amid claims of councillors receiving over R31,000 monthly; Minister vows to root out corruption and restore the programme’s core purpose.
Image: File
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson has halted all Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) fund transfers to the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
This comes after a City Press investigation revealed that the municipality’s EPWP payroll is allegedly being used to pay inflated salaries, over R31,000 per month , to former councillors and current political office bearers, more than ten times the average EPWP stipend.
Macpherson said the EPWP was never meant to serve as a vehicle for political patronage, but rather to provide short-term, skills-based work opportunities to unemployed South Africans.
He has now instructed the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to suspend all transfers to the municipality until a formal investigation is completed.
“We simply cannot turn a blind eye when serious allegations of abuse are raised, which is why I have instructed the Department to suspend EPWP fund transfers until a formal investigation can be completed,” Macpherson said.
“The EPWP is an essential lifeline for many in communities across the country, including in Matjhabeng, and it would therefore be wholly unacceptable if any politician or official is found to have used the programme for personal benefit, '' said Macpherson.
Macpherson said the situation in Matjhabeng reinforces the urgent need to reform the programme to ensure it reaches its intended beneficiaries and is protected from political interference.
“Through the EPWP Listening Tour conducted nationwide, we have heard several serious allegations of abuse — such as those in Matjhabeng — and it is therefore critical that the programme be strengthened to eliminate any possibility of corruption and political patronage.
''After 20 years, we are committed to reforming the EPWP to ensure it remains a viable platform for empowerment well into the future, as we work to build a better South Africa,” said Macpherson.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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