Public Protector to investigate non-payment of Vuk’uphile Public Works contractors
4 July 2018
The Democratic Alliance in North West welcomes the decision by the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate the Department of Public Works for the non-payment of emerging contractors in the Vuk-uphile programme.
Emerging construction contractors are claiming that the government training and mentorship programme has left many of them destitute due to non-payment.
The purpose of the Vuk’uphile programme was to encourage skills development and job creation through 65 contractors who were mandated to employ 5 people each.
However, the contractors are claiming that programme funds have disappeared and they were forced to inject their own funds into the project.