Minister to investigate EPWP non-payment
MINISTER of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy has noted reports regarding the non-payment of stipends for some Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants employed by her department in various municipalities across the country.
These include some EPWP participants employed at local municipalities under uMkhanyakude District.
These now distressed EPWP workers were meant to receive stipends on 15 February but have not been paid to date.
This was not the first time that they had to endure non-payment, with many since commencement of duties in November, going for about three months without pay.
This prompted the EPWP workers to march in protest to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park offices in St Lucia in January, demanding answers.
They were eventually paid their stipends, with the issue of nonpayment repeated in February.
One of the EPWP participants said when Creecy visited the park last week, they voiced their complaints to her.
"It is really tough because we need that money to feed our families," said the worker, who asked to remain anonymous.
In an effort to address the issue, Creecy instructed DFFE's senior management to urgently investigate the reasons that led to the delay in or non-payment of stipends.
"The investigation will include engaging the EPWP participants to verify the accuracy of the payment information, copy of ID, banking details and timesheets. The verification will assist in developing proactive measures to address stipend payment delays and produce a verified list of unpaid participants," said Creecy.
The DFFE in a statement said the verification process is scheduled to take place over the next two weeks, after which senior management will report back to the minister.
It added that in the meantime, participants who are yet to be paid are advised to report to the DFFE's Local Government Support officials based at the respective municipalities for further information on the verification process.
"The purpose of the exercise over the next two weeks is to identify those who have worked but have not been paid so we can speed up the processing of payment. It is not acceptable that some participants who have given their time and energy to the department have still not been paid for their services," added Creecy.
The department said it has created 51 048 jobs as part of the Cleaning and Greening programme, which renders support to various municipalities across the country through the EPWP.