The DA Westonaria took to the streets of Simunye to protest against what they call unfair job opportunity process in the ANC-led Westonaria Local Municipality (WLM).
The protest on Wednesday, 10 February was against the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) initiated to create short-term job opportunities for the immediate local community. The project focuses on skills development for impoverished community members.
According to councillor Joseph Letlhake, chairperson of the DA Westonaria Caucus, “The EPWP project in Simunye, Westonaria is not functioning as it is supposed to, in part because the EPWP workers are bused in from Mpumalanga due to their political connections.”
Letlhake used the City of Cape Town as an example and stated that unemployed community members interested in job opportunities can register at their local sub council and later are added onto the city’s job-seekers database.
“Workers are recruited from the database on a random basis and are notified via telephone of a possible opportunity to be employed.
The DA is committed to bringing change to Westonaria; change that stops corruption and ensures public money is spent on service delivery,” he said.
This move by the DA Westonaria is in line with the recent jobs drive the DA has embarked on before the upcoming local elections. Paseka Mosete, an intern at the WLM Corporate Services Department of Communications said he was not aware of the protest.
The Herald approached other WLM departments for comment about the matter and to find out how their EPWP project process works, but to no avail.
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