The Citizen reports that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPW&I) on Sunday announced it would launch an investigation after being informed of abuse complaints within the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in North West.

The EPWP provides part-time manual labour jobs to help alleviate unemployment and augment the work of municipal infrastructure maintenance teams. DPW&I confirmed it had received reports that EPWP beneficiaries had been used as domestic labourers for officials in the Bojanala municipality, which includes Madikwe, Rustenburg, Sun City and the Pilanesberg National Park. Additional complaints included that EPWP beneficiaries were being forced to become paying political party members.

“If these claims are true, they represent a serious abuse of power and a betrayal of public trust,” Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson indicated. He added that evidence of wrongdoing would be acted on swiftly and could result in the opening of a criminal case. Macpherson has visited several provinces as part of a listening tour with EPWP beneficiaries. “We are determined to make the EPWP programme transparent, accountable, and focused squarely on improving people’s lives,” said the minister.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jarryd Westerdale at The Citizen

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