EAST LONDON- The Eastern Cape Office of the Premier(EC OTP) Acting Director General(DG) Mahlubandile Qwase laid out to the public that the provincial government has taken the reins of the critical Skills Development Program(SDP), terminating the agent which was in charge. The announcement was made at media briefing held in East London on 30 October 2025.
This decisive action comes in response to crippling delays in stipend payments, leaving thousands of young beneficiaries in the cold since the program’s inception in March 2025.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is implementing skills development initiatives, benefiting thousands of young people through the Presidential Youth Employment Program (30,000+ beneficiaries) and Artisan Development Program (37,180 trainees) with the key National Skills Fund(NSF) project providing work experience and training to 3,800 youth, enhancing employability and economic growth prospects.
For months, the NSF-funded project program, designed to equip 3800 young people with vital workplace skills, has been mired in bureaucratic red tape.
“We’re committed to restoring stability and ensuring our youth get the support they deserve,” said Qwase emphasising that they are negotiating with the workplaces of the beneficiaries for them to work from home up until they are paid .
Qwase added that as the OTP works to rectify the situation, beneficiaries are to be expected to receive the staggered stipend payments from 01 to 15 November 2025.
He emphasized that the 466 million overall funding of the project for the 3800 beneficiaries is going to be running for three years with the project management allocated a potion of 32 million also running for three years.
The program aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP) and National Skills Development Plan (NSDP), emphasizing skills development and job creation for the youth.
Photographs: supplied/EC OPTP
