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Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure Dean MacPherson briefs the media on the eThekwini Municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme in Durban on 14 April 2026.
Government has suspended funding to the eThekwini Municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in KwaZulu-Natal. The announcement was made in Durban by the Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean MacPherson, during a media briefing.
He said the decision follows serious findings by the Auditor-General, which identified a material irregularity in how the municipality managed the programme in the 2021/22 financial year.
According to MacPherson, investigators found that the municipality failed to provide basic records, including attendance registers to verify that work had actually been carried out.
“I formally receive correspondence from the Auditor-General regarding the material irregularities identified in eThekwini Municipality and administration of the EPWP grant, dating back to 2021/2022. Irregularities relate to payments made to services not rendered. This means the municipality was unable to provide verifiable records, including attendance registers and supporting documentation to demonstrate the work was actually performed by individuals who were paid. The Auditor-General report indicates the municipality database included ghost beneficiaries, deceased beneficiaries, beneficiaries employed elsewhere in government and beneficiaries with no valid ID numbers.”
