The Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) wish to jointly inform the public that a resolution has been reached regarding the delayed payments for Education Assistants and General School Assistants employed under the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI).
Following intensive engagements which continued late into the night, the parties have agreed on a way forward that ensures both compliance with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and timely relief to beneficiaries.
The parties resolved that alternative verification methods will be utilised to confirm the attendance of Education Assistants and General School Assistants. To this end, the UIF and DEL have agreed to immediately release funds for BEEI stipend payments.
The DBE and DEL can confirm that payments to Education Assistants started flowing today at 10h00. Those banking with Capitec and FNB will receive their funds today, while those banking with other institutions will be subject to standard inter-bank clearance times.
Government recognises the importance of strict adherence to PFMA prescripts to safeguard taxpayer resources. However, we also acknowledge that the delays in verifying attendance of Education Assistants and General School Assistants were unacceptable and caused undue hardship. For this, government unreservedly apologises.
The UIF, as one of the funders of the BEEI Phase V programme, represented by the DEL, and the IDC as the implementing agent, together with the DBE — which is responsible for oversight of provincial education departments, districts, and schools participating in the programme — remain committed to ensuring that all Education Assistants and General School Assistants receive their payments promptly, and that similar delays are avoided in the future.
DBE has committed to submitting all compliance documents including registers on or before the agreed timeline; (ii) A joint technical team between DEL, DBE, and IDC will be fast-tracking verification; (iii) Improvement to the Kwantu Payment System is underway to enhance accessibility; (iv) UIF is reviewing future modalities to strengthen proactive compliance monitoring. These steps demonstrate a commitment to balance accountability with compassion.
Schools are accustomed to managing this large-scale initiative through established provincial internal controls, whereby young people are either paid via PERSAL or directly by schools through their own stipend processes. It is therefore recommended that these two mechanisms remain the operational options going forward.
Going forward, the BEEI project will be a standing item in senior management meetings from school level through to the national level. The Minister has also confirmed that consequence management will follow should internal investigations reveal negligence or failure to act timeously, leading to the escalation of this issue.
We extend our appreciation to all stakeholders for their patience and cooperation during this process.
Media enquiries:
Media Relations Specialist: Terence Khala
Cell: 081 758 1546
Media Liaison Officer: Lukhanyo Vangqa
Cell: 066 302 1533
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