September 13, 2007
By Emily Visser
With an age gap of more than 20 years between them, Collen Raphasha and Elizabeth Kgotleng should have little in common. But the generation and gender differences don't mean much to the two in their pursuit of a common goal.
Raphasha and Kgotleng are learner contractors on their first project, helping rehabilitate a 150m stretch of bank along the Jukskei River in Delta Park – part of the Vuk'uphile project run by the City of Johannesburg.
The Vuk'uphile programme is part of the City's expanded public works programme (EPWP). It is an initiative aimed at providing formal training, particularly the youth and women, along with the opportunity to gain practical experience.
According to Lulama Ndlovu, manager for the City's EPWP programme, the public works programmes are meant as an exit strategy out of poverty. "The programmes aim to make a person more competitive in the open job market."
The expanded public works programme, now in its third year, is a presidential priority. Through it, the City hopes to create 117 500 jobs by 2009; the country has a target of 1-million for the same period.
An example
After dropping out of university for personal reasons, Raphasha was not sure of his life path but was determined to give something else a go. "I did some research and found out about this programme," he says.
Thirty-year-old Raphasha and 52-year-old Kgotleng were speaking during a recent tour of Joburg's EPWP by municipal representatives from the nine South African Cities Network group: Buffalo City, Cape Town, Mangaung, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Metropole, eThekwini, Msunduzi and Ekhuruleni.
Representatives were impressed by the extent and success of the City's many projects. Ignatius Ariyo, technical support director for the programme in the department of public works, commented on the speed of training on the Jukskei River project.
Contractors in the making: Collen Raphasha and Elizabeth Kgotleng with mentor, Rink van der Leij on site
A total of 30 workers from Alexandra received life skills training before starting on the project.
Once Kgotleng and Raphasha complete their two-year training they will have a foothold in the contract environment.
Looking much younger than her years, Kgotleng is confident as she gives explanations on the various site activities.
"The first project is 100 percent hands on," she says. This includes building gabions (wire-mesh structures filled with rocks) and river mattresses (concrete blocks with holes), both of which will be used to stop further soil erosion and regulate the flow of the river – something that is considered a complex civil engineering project.
The river bank project is funded by the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) at a cost of R2,9-million and will be completed in early November.
Kgotleng is one of eight women currently on the learnership programme. Most are youngsters and she feels she can give much need "motherly guidance" to the younger learners.
Like other learners, Raphasha and Kgotleng had to complete classroom instruction before starting on the first of three projects they have to complete to qualify as fully-fledged contractors.
These hands on projects are set aside by City entities especially for the programme.
Mentoring takes place throughout the duration of the three projects. "It is a reasonably difficult project for learner contractors, a new concept to all of them," says project leader Rink van der Leij.
Van der Leij gives the two learners up to eight hours of mentoring a week, as well as on site training. It is accredited by the Department of Labour.
There are 16 learner contractors currently on the City's Vukuphile learnership programme, with 12 of these involved in various infrastructure projects around the city.
Johannesburg Water has eight learner contractors involved with projects in Bryanston and Morningside and JRA has two contractors building footways in Soweto and Alexandra.
The City aims to have trained more than 265 learner contractors in the infrastructure, environment, economic and social sectors by 2009.
Site visits
Visits were also made to other EPWP programmes currently underway in Ellis Park and the Lawley informal settlement.
The Ellis Park project involves upgrading and re-enforcing the medium and low voltage networks in the area as part of 2010 Fifa World Cup™ preparations. The project involves digging trenches, laying cables, compacting the earth and drilling.
An expanded public works programme: the banks of the Jukskei River are being rehabilitated
The project will be completed in 2009 in time for the Confederations Cup.
"Thirty people from Berea, Troyeville and surrounding areas are employed in the project," says project co-ordinator Hope Magamata.
City Power has given all the workers training at its centre in Rouxville.
In Lawley, 216 local residents are involved in public works programmes to formalise the informal settlement.
City Power is providing service connections to the electricity supply, while Joburg Water is supplying 5 000 units with sanitation in the form of VIP toilets. The project cost R37-million and is nearing completion.
Apart from the site visits the South African Cities Network group also exchanged ideas and looked into challenges faced by EPWP champions around the country.
Similar get-togethers have been planned for the other cities, with meetings and site visits taking place every quarter.
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