{
  "id": 4113644,
  "title": "DA accuses ANC of trying to use EPWP funding to drum up support before elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/da-accuses-anc-of-trying-to-use-epwp-funding-to-drum-up-support",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-29T05:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/da-accuses-anc-of-trying-to-use-r2m-epwp-funding-to-drum-up-support-before-elections/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The DA has accused the ANC of attempting to utilize EPWP funding to gain voter support before the upcoming local government elections. During a contentious council meeting in Lephalale Local Municipality, the DA opposed a proposal to allocate a R2 million grant for the 2027-28 financial year to the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The ANC-led council dismissed these allegations, stating the funds were necessary to increase EPWP working days from three to five, maintain a clean municipal environment, and improve park and open space maintenance. The DA's caucus leader, Johannes Diederik Nel, argued that the municipality's failure to meet EPWP opportunity targets for the past five years warranted caution. He claimed the ANC was trying to use the funds for electioneering purposes, exposing a perceived double standard in how the ANC treats decisions affecting the incoming council. Nel also accused the ANC of prioritizing the next council's spending commitments over immediate resident needs. The municipal manager, Feziwe Nogilana-Raphela, acknowledged that the EPWP allocations were insufficient for achieving targets and recommended a baseline budget of R2 million for the upcoming financial year to supplement the grant. This would allow more EPWP participants to work five days a week, improving street cleaning, litter picking, and park maintenance.",
  "summary": "The ANC said the funds will only benefit the council after the 4 November polls",
  "key_points": [
    "DA accuses ANC of using EPWP funding for election support.",
    "ANC-led council defends EPWP funding for environmental and maintenance purposes.",
    "DA's Johannes Diederik Nel claims ANC prioritizes next council's spending."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The DA's accusation that the ANC is trying to use EPWP funding to gain voter support reveals a political struggle over resource allocation and priorities in the run-up to the local government elections.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}