This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.Noah Schermbrucker, Programme Co-ordinator at Peoples Environmental Planning, points out that informal settlements are set to remain a part of the SA urban landscape for the foreseeable future as the demand for housing continues to far outstrip the number of houses the state provides.
At the municipal level, officials trying to upgrade informal settlements struggle with red tape and conflicting policy directives. New ideas and approaches are needed at every level. One possible lever for change could be through engaging the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP, originally called the National Public Works Programme, was launched in 1998. In 2004, it was relaunched and scaled up as the EPWP. A response to high levels of unemployment and poverty, it has provided a meagre income and short-term, low skill employment to millions of people. In recent years some efforts have been made to provide higher level skills and pathways to longer term employment, but this has been patchy. The working for fire and water programmes are said to be good examples of what can be done. Similarly, there is potential for EPWP workers to contribute to upgrading informal settlements. Supported by civil society, EPWP workers, who come from the informal communities themselves, could fulfil many functions, such as mapping, numbering, and enumerating structures; registering new arrivals, departures and demolitions; and negotiating the reconfiguring of settlements to allow space for infrastructure like roads. Changes would need to be made to the way the EPWP works to allow for longer employment periods (currently the limit is six months) and pathways would have to be created to move workers into roles within municipal human settlement departments after their stint. This would also help the EPWP to achieve its stated goal to provide long-term skills and employability.
- Read the full original of the opinion piece in the above regard by Noah Schermbrucker at GroundUp
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