Macpherson suspends all EPWP funds to the municipality | The citizen

Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson has suspended all transfers from the Fund Fund of Expanded Public Works to the local municipality of Matjhabeng.

This follows on reports that the EPWP wage list of the municipality is reportedly used to pay blown salaries, more than R31,000 a month, to former councilors and current political office carriers, while others are only paid R1.500.

This is more than ten times the average EPWP stipendium.

Job

According to reports, municipal insiders said that this practice continues to undermine the purpose of the EPWP and prevents thousands of local young people from having access to jobs.

According to EPWP rules, jobs must be based in the short term and on skills, which prioritize vulnerable and unemployed groups, especially young people, women and people with disabilities. Employment is limited to 24 months within a five -year cycle.

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‘Lifeline’

Macpherson said the EPWP was established to offer skills -based work opportunities in the short term, not as a vehicle for political patronage.

“The EPWP is an essential lifeline for many in communities throughout the country, also in Matjhabeng, and it would therefore be completely unacceptable if a politician or officer used the program for personal benefits.

“We simply cannot close an eye when serious accusations of abuse are increased, which is why I have ordered the Department to suspend EPWP Fund transfers until a formal investigation can be completed,” said Macpherson.

Reform

Macpherson added that the allegations further strengthen his opinion that the EPWP must be reformed to eliminate any possibility of abuse and to ensure that the intended beneficiaries fully benefit from the program, free from political interference.

“We have heard various serious accusations of abuse through the EPWP – Luisterttour – such as those in Matjhabeng – and it is therefore crucial that the program is strengthened to eliminate any possibility of corruption and political patronage.

“After 20 years, we are committed to reforming the EPWP to ensure that it remains a viable platform for empowerment far into the future, while we are working to build a better South Africa,” said Macpherson.

EPWP

The EPWP, launched in 2004, was intended to tackle unemployment through labor -intensive projects such as road maintenance, sanitary facilities and community work.

Earlier this month, Macpherson promised to restore the trust of the public In his department by taking decisive action against mismanagement, re -use inactive state assets and the reforming of the EPWP.

Macpherson confirmed that studies into the Telkom Towers Project and the PSA Oxygen Plant, managed by the Independent Development Trust (IDT), are expected to be completed at the end of July 2025.

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