Public Protector must investigate ANC's abuse of EPWP workers

I will today write to the Public Protector to request an investigation into the abuse of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees for party political purposes.

The Times this morning reported on an EPWP employee in the City of Tshwane who was forced to abandon work to canvass for the ANC and to attend ANC rallies. He spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity (see here).

The EPWP worker claims he was also forced to do door-to-door campaigning for the ANC in September last year, and is quoted as saying "when I was employed, we were assured that this had nothing to do with politics but now we are being used for campaigning and to attend rallies."

It is completely unacceptable that the worker is being abused to do exactly that.

Forcing EPWP workers to campaign for the ANC is a contravention of section 8 of the EPWP Codes of Good Practice and theMinisterial Determination on the EPWP.

The Public Protector, in terms of section 6(4)(a)(ii) and (iv) of the Public Protector Act, must investigate this abuse of power by and receipt of improper advantage received by the ANC as a result of this.

The ANC is abusing state resources to further its own campaign, therefore using money meant for service delivery to spend on electioneering.

EPWP workers have important jobs to do and many want to earn their honest wage through hard work are now being abused in this manner. They cannot be removed from their jobs to serve a political campaign.

The Public Protector must urgently investigate and punish the ANC organisers responsible for this flagrant abuse of workers and public resources.

Statement issued by John Moodey, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader, March 10 2014

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