“CWP work is not necessarily employment,” mayor tells residents

574

The residents want the mayor to intervene in the little money earned by the men and women in orange.


Chief Albert Luthuli mayor Dan ‘DP’ Nkosi says the municipality will try and absorb two or three workers from the Community Work Programme should there be a vacant post.

DP was responding to questions from community members during a Mayoral Imbizo he had in Carolina’s Silobela township.

One of the residents had asked the mayor to take the CWP workers as permanent municipal workers, saying the R700 that they earn a month is too little.

“Please, please hire these people or increase their wage,” the resident said to thunderous applause.

When he took to the stage, Nkosi explained to the residents packed in a tent erected in an open field that the R700 that the CWP workers earn monthly is money determined by national government – by the department of co-operative governance.

“CWP is not necessarily employment,” Nkosi said.

“I must tell you that CWP is a means to alleviate poverty by getting the unemployed to do something for their communities in exchange for the R700. But that happens in the process of the unemployed person seeking a job and once he or she finds a job then involvement with CWP stops,” the mayor.

“When there is a post at the municipality you are encouraged to apply,” Nkosi said.

He spoke to scores who came to attend his Mayoral Imbizo on Thursday a week ago.

During the Mayoral Imbizo, DP delivered a speech, touching on the progress made by the municipality and allowed questions from the community members.

He said he was happy to hear that people were voicing out their happiness in getting RDP houses, water as well as toilets.

He unveiled the newly paved Coetze street in the Carolina area and will wait for an operational plan from the taxi association to unveil the newly built long-distance taxi rank.

(edited by ZK)

Send tips to editor@013.co.za