UNgqongqoshe Wezemisebenzi Yomphakathi Nezingqalasizinda, uDean Macpherson, umemezele ukuthi uzomisa uxhaso lohlelo lwe-Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality onyakeni wezimali ka-2026/27 kuze kube kulungiswa izinkinga ezivezwe ngu mnwaningi mabhuku (Auditor-General of South Africa). Lokhu kuza ngemuva kokutholakala kokungahambi kahle ekuphathweni kwe-EPWP, okubalwa ukukhokhelwa kwabantu abangazange basebenze, okubandakanya “amagama ayizipoki”, abantu asebeshonile kanye nabangafanele ukuthola izinzuzo.
UMacpherson uthe umasipala uhlulekile ukuthatha izinyathelo kusukela kwavela lezi zinkinga eminyakeni ka-2021/22, okwenza lesi simo sagwemeka kalula.
“Lolu hlelo lwenzelwe ukusiza abantu abampofu nabangasebenzi, kodwa kubonakala sengathi imali iye yaphambukiswa yabhekiswa kubantu abangafanele. Lokhu akusona isicelo, kuyisidingo. Kumele kuthathwe izinyathelo eziqinile ukuvikela imali yomphakathi nokubuyisa isithunzi sohlelo,” kusho u Macpherson.
Uthe i-EPWP ibalulekile ngoba inikeza amathuba emisebenzi yesikhashana emphakathini, kanti kwabanye abantu iwukuphela kwendlela yokuthola ukudla nokuphila.
UNgqongqoshe unikeze umasipala izinsuku ezingama-30 ukuthi udlulise isinqumo somkhandlu esizophenya lolu daba, kwakhiwe uhlelo lokulungisa, kuphinde kuthathwe izinyathelo zokuqondisa izigwegwe noma ezobugebengu kulabo abathintekayo.
Uphinde wagcizelela ukuthi uMnyango wakhe ngeke uqhubeke nokudlulisa izimali lapho kunokungabaza ngokusetshenziswa kwazo ngendlela efanele.
Ubalule nokuthi i-EPWP ayikwazi ukuvunyelwa ukuthi isetshenziswe ngendlela engafanele, ngoba lokhu kuthatha amathuba kubantu abadinga kakhulu usizo.
“Abantu baseNingizimu Afrika bafanele kangcono. Lolu hlelo kumele lusebenzele abangasebenzi, hhayi labo abafuna ukuzizuzisa ngokungemthetho,” kuphetha yena.
UNgqongqoshe uphethe wathi uma kutholakala izigameko ezifana nale kwezinye izikhungo zikahulumeni, uzothatha izinyathelo ezifanayo ngaphandle kokungabaza.
UMasipala waseThekwini uqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kwawo ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi uHlelo lwe-Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) luphathwa ngendlela ebonakalayo, enesibopho futhi ehambisana nomthetho.
Kwistatimende abasikhiphile baveze ukuthi ngemuva kokuthi umncwaningi mabhuku (Auditor-General of South Africa) wathole ukungahambi kahle okukhulu okuhlobene nezinkokhelo ze-EPWP ngonyaka wezimali ka-2021/22, uMasipala washesha waqalisa uchungechunge lwezinyathelo zokulungisa lesi simo nokuvimbela ukuphindwa kwaso.Uphenyo nokuhlolwa kokungahambi kahle okutholakele,Ukubuyiselwa kwemali lapho kudingeka khona,Izinyathelo zokujezisa noma ezomthetho kubasebenzi abathintekayo, ukuqiniswa kwezinhlelo zokulawula zangaphakathi kanye nezinqubo zokuqinisekisa.
Okunye abakubalulile kwisitatimende ukuthi uMasipala uyaqhubeka nokubambisana ngokugcwele ne-AGSA futhi uthumela imibiko ejwayelekile ngenqubekela phambili yokusebenza kohlelo lokulungisa, ngokuhambisana nemithetho ekhona.
ITheku liyaqhubeka nokuzimisela ukuqinisa ukuphathwa okuhle, ukukhulisa ukuziphendulela, nokuvikela izimali zomphakathi.
UMasipala uqaphele amazwi omphakathi asanda kukhulunywa nguNgqongqoshe Wezemisebenzi Yomphakathi Nezingqalasizinda, uDean Macpherson, mayelana nesimo semali yesibonelelo se-EPWP.
Ngesikhathi esethula inkulumo nabezindaba, ungqongqoshe uveze ukuthi uhlose ukumisa uxhaso lwe-EPWP eThekwini ngonyaka wezimali ka-2026/27 uma kungalungiswa okutholwe yi-AGSA zingakapheli izinsuku ezingama-30 ngesinqumo soMkhandlu.
Ukungahambi kahle okukhulunywe ngakho kuhlobene nezinkokhelo ezenziwa ngezinsizakalo ezingazange zenziwe, okwephula uSigaba 65(2)(a) loMthetho i-Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
Ngo-2025, iCity Integrity and Investigations Directorate (CIID) yenza uphenyo ngezinkokhelo ze-EPWP ezenziwa kubantu asebeshonile kanye nalabo ababesebenza ngesikhathi esifanayo eminyangweni kahulumeni nasezikhungweni zikahulumeni.
Kwistatimende kuphinde kwavela ukuthi uphenyo, olwaphela ngo-Mfumfu 2025, lwaphakamisa lezi ukujeziswa kwabasebenzi abayisithupha, kuqalwa kwezinhlelo zokubuyisa imali kubasebenzi abathintekayo, ukuqinisekisa ukuvalwa ngesikhathi kwabazuzi,,ukwenza kube ndawonye (centralisation) umsebenzi wokukhokha we-EPWP, kubikwa kwamacala obugebengu, kuqedwa kwabantu asebeshonile kanye nalabo abathola kabili (double dippers).
Ngokwe sitatimende somkhandlu siveza ukuthi izinyathelo zokuqondisa izigwegwe zenziwa ngokuhambisana noSigaba 62(1)(e) loMthetho i-MFMA kanye nemithethonqubo yezokuphatha ukungahambi kahle kwezezimali. Lezi zinhlelo zaqedwa kuphenyo oluyisikhombisa olwenziwa ngaphambi kweziphakamiso ze-CIID, kwathi abanye abasebenzi baxoshwa lapho kudingeka khona.
Mayelana nophenyo lwango-2025, izigwegwe kubasebenzi abayisihlanu zisaqhubeka, futhi yonke imibhalo efanele isithunyelwe kwi-AGSA.
Ngokuhambisana noSigaba 32(6) loMthetho i-MFMA, izindaba lapho kutholakala ubugebengu zibikwe ku-South African Police Service (SAPS).
UMasipala waseThekwini uyaqhubeka nokuzibophezela ekuqinisekiseni ubuqotho bohlelo lwe-EPWP kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi lolu hlelo luyazuzisa umphakathi ngendlela enobulungiswa, ebonakalayo futhi enesibopho, ngokusho kukamasipala.
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