The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) will continue to work with municipalities and stakeholders to create much-needed work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
This is according to Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts, who concluded a three-day monitoring and evaluation visit to projects funded by the DFFE in the North West province on Friday.
She visited the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot in Tlhabane, participated in a Clean-up campaign in Rustenburg, as well as the St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Mogwase, where she inspected trees planted as part of the Greening Programme’s One Million Trees Campaign held on Heritage Day, 24 September 2025.
She said that such projects must align with the EPWP Phase V, which places due importance on providing exit opportunities for participants.
“We are also continuously calling for meaningful exit plans for EPWP participants. We will explore partnerships with SETAs to ensure that participants acquire practical skills that will enable them to enter the formal job market or secure other sustainable livelihood opportunities upon exiting the programme,” she said.
Cabinet approved Phase V of the EPWP in February 2024, aiming to create five million work opportunities between April 2024 and March 2029, with an estimated five-year budget of R178 billion. The EPWP was established to provide short-term, skills-based work opportunities to unemployed South Africans.
During her visit to St. Stephen's, which participated in the DFFE Greening Programme, Swarts reiterated the department’s commitment to working with all sectors of society to advance President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge to plant trees.
Following the success of a first-of-its-kind project of planting one million trees in a single day last year, 24 September, Deputy Minister Swarts announced that plans are already underway to plant five million trees in a single day this year.
“South Africans have demonstrated that when different stakeholders work together, it is possible to plant one million trees in a single day. This year, I once again call on all South Africans to partner with us to ensure that we plant five million trees in a single day,” she said.
She reiterated that trees are key for South Africa to mitigate the dire impacts of climate change. She appreciated the partnership with the faith community and how it may be extended to include environmental awareness for different communities in all languages.
Swarts also inspected operations at the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot, where she assessed the facility’s operations to engage black-owned small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMME's) and their staff. Over the past two years, the depot operator, with the assistance of the Waste Bureau, has been able to drive operational efficiency improvements to move the depot from being at near full capacity to having significant capacity.
The bureau functions as a specialist implementing agent within the DFFE and monitors the implementation of industry waste management plans and the impact of incentives and disincentives, among others.
At the community clean-up campaign in Tlhabane, Swarts called on all residents of South Africa to participate in government efforts to keep communities clean.
She explained that keeping communities clean not only contributes to a healthier environment and cleaner air but also plays a role in socio-economic upliftment.
“Residents must understand that waste is gold. For example, collecting cans or bottles and selling them to recycling companies can help create jobs and business opportunities within communities,” she said. -SAnews.gov.za
