The Gauteng provincial government has promised to investigate officials implicated in corruption in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), however, remedial action was always after the fact, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday.

Alan Fuchs MPL, the party's shadow MEC for infrastructure development, said the EPWP was aimed at providing temporary work opportunities to the unemployed across the province.

"At a recent infrastructure portfolio committee meeting, a number of participants in the programme complained that they were paid different amounts from month to month, and in some cases they were treated poorly by their supervisors," Fuchs said in a statement.

"They also indicated that nepotism is rife, as friends and family of department staff are appointed to senior positions in the programme."

In a statement issued on Sunday, MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said an investigation is to be launched into allegations of cronyism and corruption within certain Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) programmes.

MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, speaking before the Gauteng infrastructure portfolio committee at the provincial legislature on Friday, said victims claimed they were not paid regularly.

The affected programmes were the EPWP, the Zivuseni job programme, and National Youth Service.

Mayathula-Khoza asked complainants to submit evidence and lay charges, with victims assured of protection and anonymity.

Fuchs said while this is the least one would expect from Mayathula-Khoza, remedial action was always after the fact.

"Officials in the department do not have their fingers on the pulse, which is why this situation was allowed to develop," he said.

"The MEC, as the political head of the department, must take responsibility for the inaction of her officials and is ultimately responsible."

While the investigation is certainly needed, the circumstances leading to the complaints should have been avoided in the first place.

The DA would request the MEC indicates what action will be taken against those found guilty and also provide a strategy how she intended on preventing this from happening in the future.

News24.com