With at least 2 515 000 unemployed Gauteng residents it is very disappointing that the provincial department of Roads and Transport has once again failed to meet its target of creating 1 453 jobs as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Given the current economic situation, and the rise in the cost of basic goods and services, programmes like the EPWP play a crucial role in clamping down on unemployment in this province.
According to the first quarterly report for the 2022/2023 financial year, the department only managed to employ 879 people as part of the EPWP programme.
EPWP programmes equip our unemployed residents with much-needed skills that will enable them to seek gainful employment.
There is a lack of political will from this department to ensure that all targets set for the financial year are met.
The Western Cape DA-led government has managed to create 3253 work opportunities in the Department of Public Works and Roads as part of its target for the 2021/2022 fourth quarter. The initial target set was 2452.
The only way in which this current situation can be changed is if our residents come out in their numbers in 2024 and vote the ANC-led government out of power.
The DA will continue to put pressure on this department to start meeting its targets as a matter of urgency. Furthermore, the department should liaise with their counterparts in the Western Cape to ascertain what measures are put in place to ensure the targets set to create work opportunities for our unemployed residents are met.
Our residents deserve a government that is committed to ensuring that job opportunities are created on an ongoing basis and that they have access to skills development programmes that will help them to either become entrepreneurs or find long-term employment in the future.