Government threatens to shut down Community Works Programme

Government has warned members of the City of Johannesburg’s Region E Community Works Programme of a possible shut down of the programme if members persisted with their strike action.

Executive manager of the programme in the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomalizo Malefo accepted a memorandum of grievances handed to her during a demonstration outside the Midrand offices of the agency appointed to run the programme, Imizamo yeSizwe.

“People have been misinformed. The programme is not a job but a safety net and is for the poorest of the poor. If these members persist with their actions, we will close down the programme here and give it to other communities that have a need for it,” Malefo said in an interview with Alex News.

When Imizamo yeSizwe was appointed in February, members believed there was no proper handover and this led to many problems on the ground which they wanted addressed.

Chairperson of the programme’s task team, Robert Nwedo said, “The new agency had promised to give the members a salary raise but that has not been done.” He added that some members had not been paid for months.

Nwedo said they decided to go to national department with their grievances because Imizamo yeSizwe had done nothing about them. Some of the members’ demands included the appointment of another agency, the graduation of coordinators to facilitators, and Seta accreditation for workshops.

Malefo said there were systems and procedures in recruiting an implementing agency and Imizamo yeSizwe had qualified after meeting the criteria. Referring to those who had not been paid for months, she said that was because they were not legally part of the programme.

One of the members, Violet Makume claimed she had not been paid for four months. “They always tell me to bring my bank statement, but I still don’t get paid after doing that, but I go to work everyday,” she said.