President Jacob Zuma will on Friday, 03 October 2014, launch the third phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in Keiskammahoek near King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape.  The new phase will kick start the creation of six million work opportunities President Zuma announced during the first State of the Nation Address of the fifth administration in June 2014.

“Government has since 2004 run the successful Expanded Public Works Programme which provides work opportunities and training for the unemployed.

The new phase will provide six million work opportunities by 2019. We are building on the phenomenal success of the past few years,” President Zuma said.

The EPWP was launched in 2004. It is a nationwide programme covering all spheres of government and state-owned enterprises.  The Programme provides an important avenue for labour absorption and income transfers to poor households in the short to medium-term. The EPWP Projects employ workers on a temporary or on-going basis either by government, contractors or other non-governmental organisations under the Ministerial Conditions of Employment for the EPWP or learnership employment conditions.

Since its inception the EPWP has created a total of 5.5 million work opportunities.

The launch will take place as follows:
Date: 03 0ctober 2014
Time: 09h00
Venue: Amahlathi Community Work Project, Keiskammahoek, Eastern Cape

We wish to request media covering the launch to please send their details to Ms Lesego Moretlwe at Lesego.Moretlwe@dpw.gov.za or Vuyokazi Mbanjwa at Vuyokazi.Mbanjwa@dpw.ecape.gov.za.

Enquiries:
Zanele Mngadi
Cell: 082 330 1148 or
Bongani Majola
Cell:  082 339 1993

Issued by: The Presidency