By Richard Mantu

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki today launched the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) at Sikhunyane village in Limpopo in the former homeland of Gazankulu.

The programme is part of government's comprehensive strategy to create jobs through labour intensive infrastructure projects. The Limpopo Government initiated the project to rehabilitate rural roads around the areas and named it Gundo Lashu, TshiVenda for "our victory". Gundo Lashu is one of the infrastructure programmes within EPWP, which aims to address the backlog of infrastructure such as roads and bridges in rural areas.

The EPWP will ensure that marginalised communities participate and benefit from the economy, through the creation of jobs coupled with training and skills development for people to build the country's infrastructure. Over 200 people in the Sikhunyane community are already employed in the programme to construct roads and bridges making their village accessible.

Public Works Minister Stella Sigcau, Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto and other top government officials accompanied President Mbeki who told Sikhunyane residents that the success of the programme depended on a strong partnership between government, labour, business and communities to address issues such as job creation, poverty and development.

"The programme aims to focus on workers and the unemployed particularly those who are marginalised from the mainstream of our economy," said the President. "We want workers to gain skills while they are employed and increase their capacity to continue working elsewhere once they leave the programme," he said.

President Mbeki sent a stern warning to those central in the implementation of the programme that government would not allow any failure, corruption and mismanagement of funds to the detriment of the community.

"We want to say to everybody, including those coming from the private sector, that we will deal firmly with any form of corruption that may surface as we implement this programme. All of us should agree that we will not tolerate any wastage of public funds because of negligence or maladministration," he said.

The national government has now teamed up with all stakeholders in implementing similar programmes countrywide. Minister Sigcau today signed the EPWP Memorandum of Understanding with the provincial government, the Labour Department and Construction and the Education and Training Authority that will train unemployed people in construction.

The President also unveiled the new logo that will become the symbol of the expanded public works programmes as government rolls out similar projects countrywide.

SOURCE: - BuaNews

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