The Johannesburg branch of the ANC is angry that DA mayor Herman Mashaba has cancelled the Jozi@work programme.
Mashaba announced on Friday morning: "I am pleased to announce the end of an era of patronage with Jozi@Work. I maintain that we have to turn the economy of our city around and ensure that real work opportunities are created for our residents."
"These opportunities will benefit the poorest of our city‚ not the overnight millionaires that the city seems to have prioritised in the past."
The ANC quickly hit back‚ saying: "Today is a sad day for over 8‚000 workers and 112 co-operatives/local companies in Johannesburg."
The ANC claims its programme "created thousands of jobs for the unemployed residents of Johannesburg".
"Through Jozi@Work‚ the ANC government put over R3bn aside for the benefit of co-operatives and local companies. The move by Mashaba will inevitably take away this money from the poor and unemployed residents of Johannesburg who had found work in the programme."
It has denied Mashaba’s claims that the programme favoured members of ANC branches above unemployed residents of Johannesburg.
Mashaba said middle men‚ called capacity support agents (CSAs)‚ made money from the Jozi@work programme at the expense of the unemployed. "These CSAs would become rich overnight while many in our communities remained without work opportunities‚" Mashaba said.
The businessman turned mayor said he would launch a new programme.
"The work to implement this new programme is projected to take six months‚ awaiting the establishment of a credible indigents list.…
"It will be modelled on fairness and equal opportunity."
TMG Digital
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