‘No one should celebrate EPWP, it does nothing for unemployment’
The Expanded Public Works Programme is a talking point for the elections.
FILE: Unemployed builders, tilers and plumbers hold signs seeking jobs on the side of the road in Johannesburg. Picture: AFP
Lester Kiewit speaks to Roger Etkind, former trade unionist and editor of Amandla.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Unemployment is one of the biggest issues in our country, and both the ANC and DA see Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) jobs as a solution.
EPWP jobs are short term income relief for the unemployed that pay around R120 per day, a few days a week.
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Etkind says this programme does nothing to actually fix unemployment.
“It is truly a terrible statement of the affairs in South Africa that anybody could dream of celebrating a measure like this.”
- Roger Etkind, former trade unionist and editor of Amandla
“There is really zero evidence that an EPWP does anything except give some small amount of income to people.”
- Roger Etkind, former trade unionist and editor of Amandla
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to improve the EPWP to create five million work opportunities in the next five years.
It has created 4,7 million since 2019 at a cost of R970 billion, and 14 million since 2004.
The DA in the City of Cape Town say they have created 14 500 EPWP jobs to preserve the city’s natural environment.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.