Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the Nasi iSpani programme was not a vote-catching ploy but a genuine attempt to create employment opportunities for the unemployed.
Lesufi told a press conference on Friday the programme was an intervention by the provincial government after the termination of the Presidential Youth Initiative.
We stepped in as the Gauteng government to protect our young people until the national government could provide further guidance, he said.
Lesufi said the Presidential Youth Initiative programme to employ youth as teacher assistants in schools was introduced in 2020 during Covid-19 and was renewed annually until 2023 when it was terminated nationally.
He said stepping in was not for political expediency but a genuine attempt to protect young people who played a crucial role in achieving matric results.
