The City of Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba believes the Jozi@work programme in its current format is not yielding any success in benefitting the poor and has scrapped the initiative.
He said he was struck by how communities despised the unfairness of the City’s projects to provide short-term work opportunities under the banner of Jozi@Work.
“Without fail, every community explained that these work opportunities were handed out on the basis of membership to the previous governing party. If you did not hold such a membership card, there was no real point in trying,” alleged Mashaba.
“In addition, each project was outsourced to a middleman, known as a Capacity Support Agent (CSA), which effectively became a patronage network for the previous governing party. These CSAs would become rich overnight while many in our communities remain without work opportunities,” he said.
The City was planning a new programme which would be modelled on the principles of fairness and equal opportunity. The details of the new programme are currently being determined and were expected to be finalised in about six months time.
He said he was waiting for credible indigents list to be compiled.
“It is an indictment of the previous administration that we have inherited a situation where this City currently operates without such a list,” said Mashaba.
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Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) greater Johannesburg branch complained the move was an attack on poor residents.
According to a statement released by the party’s spokesperson, Jolidee Matongo, over 8 000 workers and 112 cooperatives are now left without jobs.
“Through Jozi@Work, the ANC government put over R3 billion aside for the benefit of cooperatives and local companies,” he said.
“The move by Mashaba will inevitably take away this money from the poor and unemployed residents of Johannesburg who had found work through the programme.”
Matongo has called for Mashaba to live up to his commitment to employ community members, particularly those currently in the Jozi@Work programme. “Mashaba and the City of Johannesburg must ensure that opportunities in a rebranded Jozi@Work programme continue to be subjected to transparent, open and public processes,” he said.
Details: ANC greater Johannesburg branch 063 790 5589; City of Johannesburg 086 056 2874.
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