The Community Work Programme (CWP) is a South African government programme that provides an employment safety net and basic minimum income for people living in marginalized areas where, very often, access to employment opportunities is limited. The CWP was initiated in order to counter high unemployment and poverty levels in South Africa and is designed to contribute to the strategic goals of government in addressing poverty and unemployment. The CWP falls under the category of public work programmes in South Africa. The purpose of public works programmes is generally to provide access to temporary jobs and income for the unemployed.

The vehicle for driving the public works program policy in South Africa is the Expanded Public Works

Programme (EPWP) which falls under the Department of Public Works. In its first phase, the EPWP focused on infrastructure development and the provision of public works. The CWP was introduced in the second phase of the EPWP, and in 2009 this was expanded to include the social sector, with a focus on useful work. Both are seen as important social protection mechanisms (NDP 2011) responding to the structural unemployment resulting from South Africa’s colonial and apartheid history.

The CWP contributes to the following goals in the outcome-based system of the Government of

South Africa:

  • Decent employment through inclusive economic growth;
  • Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all; and
  • A responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system.

The overall programme management is located in DCoG, and implementation is managed by non-governmental organisations, specifically the non-profit organisations (also referred to as section 21 organisations). It is implemented in a defined local municipal area, called a “site”. The Municipality may implement the programme in several wards. Municipal sites are targeted in the poorest areas or wards where unemployment is high and permanent jobs are difficult to create or sustain.

PROVINCIAL OFFICE

Provincial Office
No 2 Cnr Molopo and Station road
Mafikeng

2745

 

meme@beulahafrica.co.za

BOJANALA PLATINUM DISTRICT

Tsholofelo Seabo – (District Manager)
City of Moalosana LM – Matlosana
JB. Marks LM – Tlokwe
JB Marks LM – Ventersdorp
Maquassi Hills LM – Maquassi

DR KENNETH KAUNDA DISTRICT

King George Mohlala – (District Manager)
Kgetleng Rivier LM – Koster
Madibeng LM – Brits
Moretele LM –  Bosplaas
Moses Kotane LM – Moses Kotane
Rustenburg LM – Rustenburg

DR RUTH SEGOMOTSI District

Buti Mpisa – (District Manager)

buti@beulahafrica.co.za –

Greater Taung LM – Taung
Kagisano Molopo LM – Ganyesa
Lekwa Teemane LM – Christiana
Mamusa LM – Schweizer Reneke
Naledi LM – Vryburg

NGAKA MODIRI MOLEMA District

Lerato Tshabalala – (District Manager)

lerato@beulahafrica.co.za

Ditsobotla LM – Ditsobotla
Mahikeng LM – Mahikeng
Tswaing LM – Delareyville
Ramotshero Moiloa LM – Ramotshere Moiloa site
Ratlou LM – Ratlou

USEFUL WORK

The work undertaken in a Community Work Programme (CWP) site has to be ‘useful work’, i.e. work that contributes to the public good, community good, or social services. The definition is intentionally wide to allow scope for local initiatives to respond to specific local needs, and to include a diverse range of activities.

Identifying enough genuinely useful work to keep 1,000 people busy for eight days each month takes initiative and good project management. It is not common for any single activity to absorb this number of people, and consequently the CWP has to focus on a number of diverse and multi-sectoral activities, straddling social, environmental, cultural, infrastructure and maintenance initiatives, as well as others designed to stimulate economic activity.

Examples of work undertaken by CWP sites include the following:

  • Maintenance of feeder roads;
  • Donga repair;
  • Spring protection;
  • Building water tanks;
  • Fixing classrooms, with authorisation and cooperation from DBE;
  • Developing and maintaining productive food gardens (household and community);
  • Planting trees;
  • Environmental clean-ups;
  • Home- and community-based care work;
  • Caring for orphans and vulnerable children;
  • Providing labour to maintain food security for vulnerable households;
  • Running sports activities or homework classes at schools;
  • Organising community sports events;
  • Holding community arts and culture activities (e.g. organising drama groups, researching the community’s social history);
  • Initiating community policing and patrols, and responding to social challenges such as reducing violence against women (converted to ‘work’ by providing street guards in rape hotspots, or cutting the long grass adjacent to pathways, for example);
  • Supporting local governance, planning and research and relevant national campaigns, such as the Food and Nutrition Security Strategy.

‘Useful work’ has to be labour-intensive and aims for at least a 65:35 wages to non-wages costs ratio.

It is identified and prioritised at a local level by structures such as Ward Committees, Reference Committees or other local development forums that are inclusive, and recognised by the local government.

FOCUS AREAS

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Food and nutrition security support

This straddles the provision of labour support to HIV/AIDS affected households, orphans and vulnerable children, child-headed households, and people with disabilities. It also includes the development of community gardens and infrastructure, with local-level forms of training and extension support provided through the CWP.

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Support to schools

School governing bodies are approached and requested to identify where the CWP may provide services such as supervision of homework classes and sports activities, labour for school-based food gardens and other support activities.

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Miscellaneous maintenance tasks

This includes services like painting, fencing repair, grass cutting and drain clearance, which tend otherwise to be neglected by local government in marginal areas, in favour of larger bulk service-delivery challenges.

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Informal settlement upgrading/urban renewal activities

This excludes bulk infrastructure, focusing instead on some of the ‘softer’ aspects: tree planting, establishment of infrastructure for food-gardens/allotments, paving, and water harvesting infrastructure, murals and installations in public spaces, landscaping of public spaces, and clearing and cleaning.

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Environmental programmes

Through cooperation agreements, the CWP is able to assist other agencies with ‘greening’ initiatives, afforestation, erosion control, and other environmental services.

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Home-based care and auxiliary care services

This includes cooking and cleaning in vulnerable households, care programmes for orphans and child-headed households, and after-school programmes.
Rural road maintenance.
This is an important anchor activity due to its potential for the creation of regular and predictable work opportunities at CWP sites.

 

This is an important anchor activity due to its potential for the creation of regular and predictable work opportunities at CWP sites.

 

BA&FF JV