On 27 November 2020 the 8th leg of the EPWP Focus Week visited uMgungundlovu Municipality. The Focus Week has been an initiative by government which serves as a benchmark for municipalities on the progress of the EPWP programme. It is through this crusade that interventions are formulated to continue to serve the marginalized and the unemployed through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Above: Ms Nokwanda Dube, Director EPWP Provincial Coordination and Mr Bongani Dlamini, Chief Director EPWP
Ms Nokwanda Dube, Director EPWP Provincial Coordination, kickstarted the day with a presentation of EPWP Phase IV Implementation Plan and District Performance. “We need to intensify labor intensive methods in order to alleviate poverty by providing work opportunities” said Ms Dube. It is through this presentation where she outlined the objectives of EPWP and presented the performance of the District. Currently the uMgungundlovu Municipality is sitting at 45% of their target and still needs to work harder to reach the target however Mr James Martin from EPWP, uMgungundlovu Municipality, assured the team that they will make sure to meet the target by the end of the financial year.
Mr Bongani Dlamini, Chief Director EPWP, outlined the purpose of the day. “A lot of people are relying on the income from this programme therefore it is our duty to ensure that the grants are used accordingly and that it reaches the rightful beneficiaries.” This Focus Week also serves to build a relationship amongst the EPWP team in order to find solutions as a collective to the challenges faced.
