Cape town: Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, and Executive Mayor of City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, will today host the next leg of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) listening tour in Tafelsig, Cape Town. The initiative aims to interact directly with communities to discuss their experiences with the programme, address challenges, and gather insights for a reimagined EPWP focused on long-term socio-economic empowerment.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Listening Tours will inform the Minister's vision for a reimagined EPWP, which emphasizes long-term socio-economic empowerment within communities. The programme seeks input from community members to highlight issues encountered within the EPWP, facilitating improvements and addressing concerns.
The Minister and Mayor will be joined by the City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, and Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim. The tour is set to continue nationwide in the coming months, collecting feedback to refine the programme's objectives and strategies.
The EPWP is a medium-to-long-term government-funded initiative designed to promote labour-intensive methods to create work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans. Participants not only earn an income and gain skills but also acquire valuable work experience, enhancing their employability in the future.