In a similar manner to the Motherwell Urban Renewal Project, the impoverished Helenvale area of Nelson Mandela Bay has been identified as an area urgently in need of upgrading. HURP has adopted a multi-faceted approach that will upgrade amenities and services in Helenvale and foster employment and community participation.
The HURP Coordinator reports directly to the Strategic Programmes Manager.
The EPWP was announced by President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address in February 2003.
Objectives:
The Programme’s objectives are to use existing government and public entity budgets to reduce and alleviate unemployment and increase the ability of workers to earn an income, either through the labour market or through entrepreneurial activity. The goal is to alleviate unemployment for a minimum of one million people (at least 60% women, 30% youth and 2% disabled people) in South Africa between 2004 and 2009. This nation-wide programme involves all spheres of government as well as state-owned enterprises. It aims to draw significant numbers of unemployed people into productive work and also contains a training component that will increase people’s capacity to earn an income.
Focus areas:
The EPWP focuses on four sectors:
- infrastructure
- economic
- environmental
- social development
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is committed to intensify the implementation of the EPWP. Thus far, with regard to the social sector, 1 002 volunteer workers, such as health workers, Direct Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS) supporters, home based care givers, lay counselors and peer educators, have been trained and employed to provide community-based care functions. With regard to the economic sector, nine agricultural projects are being implemented.
Training and skills development forms an important part of EPWP, with specific emphasis on learnership programmes. To date, eight projects are under implementation in the infrastructure sector, with 60 learners being trained. Training in life skills is also important, and to date 143 persons have been trained in this field, with a further 243 to be trained by March 2007.
In order to monitor and control the EPWP in Nelson Mandela Bay, a total of 33 members of staff have been trained.