23-24 January 2020 - KZN EPWP officials register their presence on EPWP colloquium in Pretoria
Chief Director: Provincial EPWP Coordination, Mr Bongani Dlamini with Acting Director: EPWP, Ms Nokwanda Dube at the EPWP
Colloquium in Pretoria
On the 23 and 24 January 2020, EPWP Coordination Chief Director, Mr Bongani Dlamini led the team
of officials to EPWP colloquium on the participation of youth and persons with disabilities on EPWP
programmes held in Pretoria. The objective of the gathering was to discuss strategies to increase
participation of vulnerable groups in the implementation of EPWP Phase IV to optimise work
opportunities through labour intensive projects.
In attendance was Deputy Minister for the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,
Honourable Noxolo Kiviet, MP who emphasised the value impact registered by EPWP in communities
as a response to short-term unemployment and poverty alleviation in her keynote address. She said
for EPWP to increase its impact, “focus should be on more partnerships with the private sector to
expose EPWP participants into the real job market”. Mr Stanley Henderson, DDG for EPWP at the
National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure agreed with the sentiments echoed by the
Deputy Minister and suggested that EPWP should not be reduced into an employment opportunity
target but “focus should be on the true value add of EPWP and on creating pathways for exiting EPWP
programmes”.
A representative for youth and people with disabilities, Mr Lubabalo Mbeki stressed the need for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the decision-making process to ensure that all programmes are inclusive of and are accessible to people with disabilities. The delegates attending the session broke into two commissions on day 1 and deliberated extensively on strategies to accommodate people with disabilities on EPWP programmes and accommodating youth in EPWP. During the commission deliberations, KZN Public Works officials registered their presence and were vocal in raising issues that form part of the resolutions recorded on day 2 as the way forward.