South Africa - Durban - 04 May 2026 - Public Works minister Dean Macpherson laun Nearly 9,000 employees of the Expanded Public Works Programme in eThekwini face uncertainty as funding is frozen due to allegations of mismanagement and irregular payments.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo
Nearly 9000 employees of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in eThekwini find their livelihoods hanging in the balance following a funding freeze by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
The halt, which affects funding worth approximately R8.517 million earmarked for the city’s EPWP initiatives, stems from alarming findings by the Auditor-General regarding irregular payments and questionable beneficiaries within the municipality’s payroll system.
The freeze was triggered by issues highlighted in Auditor-General reports, which pointed to unverified workers and instances of ghost beneficiaries, raising serious concerns about the management of public resources.
The department had previously issued an ultimatum directing the municipality to rectify the identified shortcomings by June 1, warning that failure to do so would result in the immediate suspension of financial contributions.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson’s intervention highlighted concerns about administrative failures within the municipality and raised suspicions of possible criminal conduct.
“The EPWP serves as a critical lifeline for vulnerable South Africans,” said Macpherson, emphasising that the programme “must not be exploited as a vehicle for patronage or theft”.
He maintained that withholding funds was a necessary step to ensure immediate accountability and restore integrity within the system.
Reports have suggested that political gatekeepers had systematically captured the EPWP, engaging in patronage practices that allegedly included “jobs for pals” schemes and even situations where job opportunities were exchanged for sexual favours or political allegiance.
Confirming the funding freeze, eThekwini acting municipal manager Musa Mbhele expressed concern about what he described as perceived ulterior motives behind the suspension. He suggested that a narrative was being advanced by the minister that could ultimately lead to the suspension of city management.
Despite the funding suspension, Mbhele pointed to a positive development, stating that the municipality had successfully recovered R1.7 million linked to previous discrepancies.
Earlier this year, eThekwini Municipality was directed to commission an independent investigation within 30 days and develop a comprehensive remedial action plan, including strategies to recover misused funds. The municipality was also instructed to ensure that those responsible for any mismanagement were held accountable.
While the municipality said it was cooperating with the investigation and had begun internal processes, the department’s national office insisted that the scale of the current mismanagement was unacceptable.
KwaZulu-Natal Public Works MEC Martin Meyer indicated that the EPWP funding dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the national department.
Questions were directed to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson’s spokesperson, James de Villiers, seeking clarity on the funding freeze and the fate of nearly 9,000 vulnerable workers who rely on the programme for income. No response had been received at the time of publication.
DAILY NEWS