Question NW1887 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

1. As one of the Lead Sector Departments of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environmental Affairs (DFFE) is entrusted with a crucial legislative mandate to ensure all citizens within the Republic of South Africa live in a clean and healthy environment and use its resources in a sustainable manner for the benefit of current and future generations. Over the years, the DFFE has developed legislation for the implementation of such greening and cleaning programmes.

Historically, the implementation of environmental programmes similar to the Cleaning and Greening launched in Gauteng Province has been achieved by forging collaborations with stakeholders operating within the environmental sector, other government institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) amongst others. In this regard, the Department of Public Works (DPWI) has also been long implementing such similar projects through the Facilities Management Unit using the Departmental line function budgets.

In line with the findings of the DFEE which states that waste services access remains highly skewed in favor of more affluent and urban communities, I will encourage and engage other relevant stakeholders to implement the Cleaning and Greening projects at scale in all provinces whilst also establishing ways to upscale the DPWI implemented projects focusing on cleaning.

2. As the Minister responsible for the overall coordination of the EPWP in South Africa, I am not aware of any link between the launch of the Gauteng Province Greening project with the upcoming 2024 elections. It should be noted that initiatives of this nature are aimed at promoting a clean South Africa free of waste and illegal dumping. This kind of programme's major goal is to alter people's attitudes and behaviours around waste and its management as well as encourage them to start taking control of and responsibility for keeping their neighbourhood clean. It has become clear that while many existing awareness campaigns temporarily make places look cleaner, they do not promote long-term habits that discourage littering and unlawful dumping. This programme aims to fill that gap by promoting sustainable practices that do just that. Furthermore, it should be noted that recruitment of participants in EPWP is guided by the Recruitment Guidelines which are premised on principles of fairness, transparency and equity focusing on all poor and unemployed people of South Africa.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: QUESTION NO. 1887 (Written Reply) Mr S S Zondo (IFP) asked the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

The draft reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1887 (Written Reply) is submitted for your consideration.

The input has been provided by the Expanded Public Works Programme Business Unit.

I hereby attest that the information provided in response to NA PQ No. 1887 is true and correct, to the best of my knowledge.

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MS. CJ ABRAHAMS

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL: EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME

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Draft reply supported / not supported/ comments

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MS. N MAKHUBELE

ACTING-DIRECTOR GENERAL

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Draft reply supported / not supported/ comments

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MS. B SWARTS, MP

DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

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Draft reply approved / not approved/ comments

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MR. S ZIKALALA, MP

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

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