The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape says Nelson Mandela Bay municipality should do away with race quotas and that people should get equal employment opportunities in the Expanded Public Works Progamme (EPWP).
This was during a protest led by the provincial chairperson Yusuf Cassim, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, the metro's caucus leader Retief Odendaal and other party leadership at the City Hall in Gqeberha on Thursday.
Brink was brought in to share some insights on how he had ensured the success of the programme in Tshwane.
"EPWP is for giving opportunities for on-the-job training so that you can move up to another position. Folks don't want to be EPWP workers for the rest of their lives. In the city of Tshwane we abolished Council interference in EPWP selection processes. It is a random selection," he said.
Brink said Tshwane has a database with the skills available in each ward so when a project arises in a particular area they "draw a lottery" and give the people the opportunity on that basis.
"The DA's policy is to make the circle bigger by employing people with skills to grow the economy," he added.
Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched phase 5 of the EPWP programme in East London, which was hailed as the country's flagship public employment program and has created more than 14 million job opportunities since its inception.
Cassim mentioned that the party has also decided to challenge the Employment Equity Bill which he says is the root cause of unemployment especially in the metro.
"The Eastern Cape has the highest unemployment rate and we cannot afford only to have a certain demographic be employed while the rest are stuck in joblessness and poverty."
The DA argued that Coloured, White, and Indian people are not afforded the same employment opportunities as black people in the metro and said it is not fair.
"We want a government that cares about the dignity of its people and our people need jobs," said Cassim.
Odendaal said that when the DA comes into power it will ensure that people are employed in the EPWP programme.
