The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has assured Education Assistants that their stipend payments have been resolved, and that all eligible beneficiaries will receive their funds.
Speaking at a joint media briefing on Wednesday in Pretoria, Minister Gwarube said payments began flowing from 10am, following intensive overnight engagements between the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Department of Employment and Labour, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
“I can confirm that as of 10am this morning, payments have started flowing from the Industrial Development Corporation to Education Assistants.
“This is a massive relief to the thousands of young people who have been waiting for what is due to them. This delay should have never happened, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that this is avoided in the future,” Gwarube said.
The Minister acknowledged the hardship caused by the delay in the September stipend payments, which affected thousands of Education Assistants under the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI).
“Many of these young people depend on their stipends to support themselves and their families. When payments are delayed, it affects people’s ability to meet their most basic needs, food, transport, accommodation and toiletries. It affects their dignity,” she said.
Gwarube explained that the delays were caused by administrative challenges related to the uploading and verification of attendance registers, a mandatory process designed to ensure accountability and prevent payments to ghost employees.
“A system of administrative checks and balances, which was meant to safeguard public funds, buckled under pressure and failed to ensure the timeous payment of stipends to Education Assistants.
“When the system failed, contingency plans were not activated by the responsible departmental officials swiftly enough. Attendance data for September was not submitted on time, leading to thousands of Education Assistants not getting paid on time,” she explained.
The Minister clarified that the delay only affected Education Assistants whose stipends are disbursed through the IDC. Those paid via National Treasury received their payments on time.
While expressing relief that the issue had been resolved, Gwarube emphasised that accountability must follow.
“We cannot and will not treat this as a routine administrative matter. I have instructed both the Director-General and the Acting Director-General to immediately institute appropriate consequence management and hold accountable any officials who are found to have failed to discharge their responsibilities in the management and implementation of the BEEI,” she said.
Gwarube added that the DBE is reviewing the BEEI’s internal governance structure to strengthen systems, clarify roles, and improve oversight. The programme will now be a standing item in meetings between the Director-General and provincial Heads of Department, while a formal Service Level Agreement between the DBE and IDC will soon be finalised.
“Schools that fail to comply with the submission of attendance registers will face serious consequences,” she warned.
Minister Gwarube reaffirmed government’s commitment to restoring trust and stability in the initiative, which provides work and skills training opportunities to over 150,000 young South Africans.
“We owe it to these young people and to the schools and learners who depend on their contribution to manage this programme with diligence, excellence, integrity, and compassion. We dare not fail again.
“I want to reassure every Education Assistant you will receive what is due to you. We will not allow this situation to happen again. We are building stronger systems to ensure that payments are reliable, timely, and transparent,” she said.
In closing, the Minister thanked the partner departments and agencies involved in resolving the issue, as well as the Education Assistants for their patience and professionalism during the delay.
“The lesson from this experience is clear: we must be faster, better coordinated, and more vigilant. As Minister, I am committed to ensuring that my department meets that standard,” she said.- SAnews.gov.za
