With no clear answers as to why thousands of teaching assistants have still not been paid, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has now stepped in.
More than 300,000 assistants were recruited nationally to start work from December to March this year as part of the government’s R7 billion project.
But the employment initiative appears to have been poorly executed as provinces have been now asked to foot the salary bill.
The project was budgeted for at the national level.
Thousands of teaching assistants from provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga are still waiting to be paid by the Basic Education Department for December‘s work.
The department said the funds were made available by Treasury.
But Treasury explained this week that funding was structured through the Division of Revenue Amendment Act – a piece of legislation that is yet to be approved and signed.
Chairperson of Parliament’s Basic Education Committee Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said the department needs to account for the delay.
“The Department of Educations needs to ensure that they are paid.”
Furthermore, teaching assistants said they doubt they’ll receive their salaries.
-EWN
In other news – DJ Fresh and DJ Euphonik quit their jobs after serious rape allegations
DJ Fresh and DJ Euphonik on Saturday were taken off air on music station 947. The pair reached an agreement with Primedia Broadcasting that they would step down from their roles with immediate effect after rape cases were opened against the two.
Both DJ Fresh and Euphonik are employed by music radio station 947, owned by the publication’s parent company Primedia Broadcasting. Learn More
