By Malebo Pheme
Over 1 600 Social Employment Fund (SEF) workers again battled Makhanda’s crumbling infrastructure in the build-up to this year’s National Arts Festival (NAF). Potholes were filled, storm drains cleared, and sidewalks restored.
However, Phase Three of the SEF ended on May 20, and there is growing uncertainty about the future of the project. Although the Government has announced the continuation of the project nationwide, budget approvals for Phase Four remain pending.
“We’ve applied for the next phase, which would begin on 1 July 2025, halfway through the Festival,” Haakonsen says. “That means most of the more than 1,600 workers will have to pause until then, except for those already assigned to Festival operations.”
Despite the gap, SEF teams raced against the clock to complete as much as possible before the Festival. On one recent day alone, they laid 30 tons of hot tar on the roads.
Hilton Haakonsen, who helps lead the SEF initiative in Makhanda, reflected on how it all began: “In 2021, there was a national application process for NPOs to join the SEF as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Project. We applied and were selected in early 2022, just before that year’s Festival.”
That first deployment of workers, cleaners, car guards, and other essential support staff quickly expanded into a year-round operation with lasting impact. Thousands of local participants have gained seven days-a-month employment, funded by the Government and managed by the National Arts Festival.
“From the very beginning, our goal wasn’t to replace the municipality, but to complement it. What our participants have achieved is impressive. From waste collection to infrastructure repair, the difference is visible,” Haakonsen said.
“The SEF has since grown into a structured project with nine teams, each tackling critical issues across the city: rehabilitating illegal dump sites, filling potholes, clearing invasive species, collecting recyclables, and producing eco-friendly paving bricks.
“This area used to be dangerous,” Haakonsen says, gesturing toward a newly laid sidewalk. “People were tripping and falling. Now it’s clean, solid, and dignified.”
The impact goes beyond infrastructure – it is contributing to human development. One participant who went through the program is now a fully qualified paramedic in East London. “Stories like these remind us that this work is about people, not just projects,” Haakonsen said.
What makes the SEF even more unique is its financial model. The initiative doesn’t charge for labour, only for materials. “Private schools, businesses, and residents contribute through Makana Revive, especially for road repairs,” Haakonsen explains. “NOA Group, the developers of Makhanda’s new wind farm, donated six loads of tar. People want to help, and we stretch every cent.”
However, the town is still not where it needs to be. “We’re not in the condition we hoped for,” Haakonsen admits, “but we’re doing the best we can. Every pothole we fill, every drain we clear, it’s for the Festival and for the people who live here every day.”
Haakonsen hopes that with more funding, the projects will go beyond cleaning, repairing and recycling. “We need to create products to sell, become more circular in how we operate, and ensure that everything we do supports the city’s development.”
His message to funders and government officials is simple: “Come speak to the people. Walk the streets. See the change. Don’t just read a report. The proof is in the pudding.”
Haakonse urged residents to support the project. “We don’t accept cash, but we welcome donations of materials, tools, cement, and recyclables. For road repairs, contact Makana Revive by email at makanarevive@itsnet.co.za or by phone at 084 740 6676 or through their website, https://makana-revive.org.za. Together, we can keep Makhanda moving forward.”
