POLOKWANE – Following the recent announcement by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Makhotso Sotyu that 2 000 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers will soon be deployed in the city on a 12-month contract, the DA is circulating a petition to implore the Polokwane Municipality to appoint the workers in this programme in a fair and transparent manner.
DA councillor in the municipality, Tiny Chidi said in a media release that an investigation by forensic auditors Bowman Gilfillan in the municipality highlighted acts of verified nepotism with respect to the appointment of EPWP workers.
“As a result, the DA will launch a petition to demand fair and transparent processes in the appointment of EPWP workers, equal opportunities to apply to all, not only the selected few,” Chidi said and claimed that only well-connected cadres are appointed by the municipality.
According to Chidi, the petition will be distributed across all municipal wards and will demand the establishment of a policy that would guide and regulate the appointment of EPWP workers and the implementation of a system that would effectively record names into a database to prevent any manipulation and oversight mechanisms to prevent political interference, eradicate nepotism and cadre deployment.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Thipa Selala denied the claims on nepotism and cadre deployment.
“The municipality follows the proper recruitment processes when appointing,” Selala said.
Selala also said that the findings of the forensic investigation detailed various allegations of wrongdoing and maladministration by some of the employees, which include managers and directors, and that council has taken a decision to suspend two of its executive management officials in order to make way for them to undergo a disciplinary process.
Selala confirmed that the Bowman Gilfillan report was regarded as confidential at this stage.
“The report was handed out but taken back as it contained sensitive and confidential information. Councillors were advised to access the report whenever they needed to go through it,” Selala explained.
