President Cyril Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the role of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in combatting unemployment and alleviating poverty amidst South Africa’s high joblessness rates on Tuesday. Speaking at the 20-Year celebration of the EPWP and the launch of its Phase 5 in Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape, the President pledged a government commitment to enhance the programme and generate five million work opportunities over the next five years.
The EPWP, according to President Ramaphosa, stands as a beacon of success, having fostered community empowerment and resilience by addressing local needs since its inception in 2004. He emphasised its transformative impact, having created over 14 million work opportunities through a collaboration of more than 300 public bodies and non-profit organisations across various sectors.
“The EPWP is changing lives and transforming communities, and the evidence is there for all to see,” President Ramaphosa asserted to the gathered audience. He highlighted the scheme’s diverse benefits, spanning from infrastructure projects like Welisizwe Rural Bridges, which enhance access to essential services, to various community support roles including street cleaning, early childhood development, and crime prevention.
Significantly, the President shared inspiring stories of beneficiaries progressing to roles as emergency responders within the SAPS and even becoming qualified pilots, showcasing the EPWP’s potential as a springboard for further career achievements. However, with the programme reaching its two-decade milestone, President Ramaphosa called for reflection and urged for even more ambitious achievements leveraging experience from both the EPWP and the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
The President recognised the need for enhancement in the quality of work experience and service delivery, proposing a revitalised portfolio of public employment programmes to tackle urgent service delivery priorities and social challenges such as gender-based violence and substance abuse. Additionally, he outlined the potential of the programme to support clean energy projects, water quality improvements, and digitisation efforts as avenues to boost youth employment and skills development.
As Phase 5 of the EPWP sets the stage for increased youth participation and skill enhancement, President Ramaphosa laid a foundation for integrity, emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, nepotism, or favouritism. He called for collaboration between the state, social partners, and the private sector to bolster job creation and support for small enterprises and cooperatives, highlighting the collective effort required to expedite employment opportunities whilst improving service delivery.
In closing, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to public employment expansion through various programmes and support for entrepreneurial ventures in townships and villages. With a focused dedication to youth inclusion in public employment, artisan training, and entrepreneurial programmes, he vowed not to leave the young men and women of South Africa behind.
“We are determined to reach you, one and all, to help you and to support you. This is the promise of democracy and freedom,” President Ramaphosa concluded, echoing a message of hope and resilience in the face of economic challenges.
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