GOOD Press Statement by Jonathan Cupido,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
10 July 2023
The GOOD party welcomes Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’ confirmation that the City will abide by the law and the spirit of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) poverty alleviation objective.
Following complaints made to GOOD by residents who felt the system was being abused to give political connected individuals jobs, GOOD Councillor Jonathan Cupido wrote to the Cape Town Mayor to ask him to ensure that no councillor gets involved in the administration of EPWP processes.
Cupido urged the Executive Mayor to circulate a directive to that effect reminding councillors of the Standard Operating Procedure.
The executive mayor agreed and Desiree Visagie, Chief Whip of Council, has now issued a directive to councillors advising them to adhere to the EPWP policies.
The DA has tabled legislation, in Parliament, calling for an end to cadre deployment but it has allowed, and used, a form of cadre deployment through its abuse of EPWP to reward, recruit and appoint its members and activists – bypassing the system of randomised selection of EPWP opportunities.
By Hill-Lewis’ office issuing the memorandum, he is confirming that the system has been politicised and abused.
GOOD calls on City of Cape Town staff to immediately act if councillors are seen interfering in the EPWP selection processes in favour of political friends.
We ask that when councillors are reported to the Speaker, that her office act swiftly and ensure that those councillors are brought to book as it is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct for councillors.
Poverty knows no political affiliation and the EPWP should never be used by councillors to reward their supporters.
Media Enquiries:
Jonathan Cupido, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 084 865 8122
Email: jonathanc@forgood.org.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875