ATC210319: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure on a petition lodged byMr S August, Good Party, dated 17 March 2021

Public Works and Infrastructure

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure on a petition lodged byMr S August, Good Party, dated 17 March 2021

 

The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, having considered a petition lodged byMr S August (Good Party)on 24 November 2020, calling on the Assembly to investigate a policy review that will look into developing a consistent system across municipalities, provincial governments and national government on how the Extended Public Works Program (EPWP) employs job seekers, reports as follows:

 

On 11 December 2020, the above-mentioned petition was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure (the committee) for consideration and report. National Assembly Rule 347(1) determines that a member of the National Assembly must lodge a petition with the Secretary to Parliament for approval and tabling by the Speaker. The petition was lodged in the name of Mr S August, MP. On 16 March 2021, the committee considered the petition.

 

1. Oral presentations made to the Committee

 

1. Mr S August (member of the National Assembly)

 

Mr August gave a background of the objective of the petition. The purpose of the petition was to appeal to the Assembly to investigate a policy review that will look into developing a consistent system across municipalities, provincial governments and national government on how the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) employs job seekers. 

 

1. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI)

 

The department reported that there was in fact a standardised policy in place on how beneficiaries of the EPWP were employed at national, provincial, and municipal government levels. It stated that it unfortunately did not have the necessary enforcement mandate to ensure uniform implementation across the three levels of government. The branch further reported that it was doing everything in its power to ensure that the policy was properly implemented at all projects across the three levels of government.

 

 

 

1. Observations

 

Having listened to the EPWP branch on the matter, the committee made the following observations:

 

1. A clear and uniform standard setting policy does exist. The committee felt that the EPWP, as one of the government programmes that played a key role in the Economic Reconstruction and Development Plan, must be properly implemented so that the scourge of unemployment can be curbed.
2. Further to this, the committee raised the critical question of how the DPWI and its EPWP branch wereenabled to enforce the implementation of this national standardized policy of how municipalities, provinces, and national government employed beneficiaries.

 

1. Recommendations

 

Having considered the petition, the committee recommends that the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

 

3.1. Completes its mandate-setting draft Public Works Bill to fully mandate and empower its branches to do its employment-creating coordinating work across national, provincial, and municipal government levels.

3.2. Further, ensures she includes clauses in the bill that make it possible to enforce the implementation of standard-setting uniform policies of how beneficiaries are employed in EPWP projects at municipalities, provincial governments, and national government.

3.3. Ensures that, as the EPWP is part of the safety net for the majority who have no skills and qualifications, a standardized policy on how government employs EPWP beneficiaries must be put in place.

 

 

Report to be considered.