Durban — Just over one hundred irate workers gathered outside the Durban City Hall on Wednesday, demanding answers regarding the revival of the defunct Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
The protest follows eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba's earlier promise to resuscitate the programme aimed at alleviating the city's rising unemployment figures.
Silindile Mashobane expressed discontent with the city’s “empty promises”: “We decided to come here today (Wednesday) because we have been waiting for months since the mayor promised to rehire us. To this day, we have not been updated about what is happening. We were just left in the dark.”
Mashobane said it was difficult to make ends meet as she has been unemployed since July when the programme was summarily stopped due to the lack of funding from the Department of Public Works.
“It is difficult to survive. All of us here were dependent on the programme. Ever since the programme was stopped, life has been difficult,” she said.
Another protestor, Thabo Ndlovu, said, “We want to see the mayor so that he can explain to us what is happening. We are not fighting with anyone; we just want to know what is happening.”
Ndlovu said the municipality was wrong to pull the plug on the much-needed programme.
“They always hide behind not having money when they want to abuse us as residents. There is money in government. We are pleading with the city to revive this programme as it benefited many young people, including myself.”
Xaba announced last month that the EPWP would be revived but with significant budget cuts.
This slashed budget translated into a considerable decrease in participant numbers, from 4 000 to just 1 276 for the 2024/25 financial year.
“After the Department of Public Works reduced the budget to R18 million, the City reprioritised funding to top up this amount,” Xaba explained.
The challenges facing the EPWP are not new. Launched in 2004 under former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration, the programme has faced allegations of nepotism and mismanagement. The municipality has found itself under increasing pressure from unions, especially the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), who have staged marches at the city hall to voice their dissatisfaction following the programme's abrupt termination in July due to funding shortages.
City spokesperson Gugu Sisilana addressed the recent protests, saying: “During a media briefing last month, Mayor Cyril Xaba reaffirmed that the municipality is exploring plans to revive the Expanded Public Works Programme and further announced that the council has given the City a green light to resuscitate the programme.”
She said the city was working to align the programme with initial objectives.
Despite the reduction in funding, Sisilana reassured the public that the municipality aims to create new opportunities for young people aged 18 to 35, pledging a commitment to equip them with relevant skills for the job market.
“The Mayor reassured the people of eThekwini that innovative ways of ensuring the programme serves its purpose will be explored,” she said.
However, for now, many workers like Mashobane and Ndlovu remain in limbo, desperately awaiting the fulfilment of promises that could change their lives.
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