Minister Macpherson and Cape Town Mayor Host EPWP Listening Tour in Tafelsig

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and City of Cape Town Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis have taken the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Listening Tour to Tafelsig, Cape Town, as part of a national effort to directly engage with communities on the successes, challenges, and future of the programme.

The engagement in Tafelsig marks one of several stops on the nationwide tour, which is designed to shape a re-imagined EPWP that goes beyond short-term job creation and seeks to drive long-term socio-economic empowerment.

Bringing Leadership to Communities

The Minister and Mayor were joined by the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Members Grant Twigg (Urban Waste Management) and Carl Pophaim (Human Settlements). Together, they met with residents, EPWP participants, and local stakeholders to hear first-hand accounts of experiences with the programme.

According to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the listening sessions are critical to the Minister’s vision of restructuring the EPWP to make it more impactful and sustainable.

“Through the listening tour, the Minister aims to hear from communities about their experiences with the EPWP to bring attention to issues encountered within the programme. The tour and engagement with communities will also shape the Minister’s vision to reimagine the EPWP,” the department said.

What the EPWP Means for Communities

The Expanded Public Works Programme, launched in 2004, is a government initiative aimed at reducing poverty and unemployment by creating short- to medium-term work opportunities through labour-intensive projects. These projects include activities in infrastructure, environment, social development, and non-state sectors.

• Skills Development: Participants gain practical training and skills while working on projects.

• Income Support: Short-term wages help households cover essential needs.

• Employability: Work experience enhances participants’ chances of entering the formal job market.

For communities like Tafelsig, where unemployment remains high, the EPWP has provided many residents with temporary relief while equipping them with skills to improve future prospects.

Towards a Reimagined EPWP

Minister Macpherson has emphasised the need to move beyond temporary job creation and towards a model that fosters entrepreneurship, long-term employability, and sustained socio-economic benefits. The listening tours, he noted, will guide this shift by ensuring that the voices of communities directly shape the next phase of the programme.

Mayor Hill-Lewis echoed this view, highlighting that Cape Town has leveraged EPWP to support local service delivery while simultaneously tackling unemployment. The Mayor stressed the importance of aligning EPWP opportunities with skills demanded by the local economy, enabling participants to transition into permanent employment.

National Rollout of the Listening Tour

The Tafelsig visit is part of a nationwide engagement process. Over the coming months, the Listening Tour will be rolled out across provinces, reaching diverse communities to ensure broad participation. A report consolidating these inputs will inform a comprehensive EPWP reform plan, which the Minister is expected to table next year.

The department has positioned this process as evidence-based policy-making, underlining government’s commitment to citizen-driven development.

Looking Ahead

As South Africa grapples with persistent unemployment, particularly among the youth, the EPWP remains a vital tool. However, the listening tour signals an important transition: from viewing EPWP as temporary relief to reimagining it as a launchpad for empowerment, skills, and sustainable livelihoods.