Nearly 200 school assistants in the Western Cape have not received their stipend payments for several weeks, prompting concern and calls for intervention from the African National Congress (ANC).
Many of these assistants are based in under-resourced areas and rely on the income provided through the Basic Education Employment Initiative.
ANC Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) Khalid Sayed criticised the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), describing the delay as a ‘moral failure’ and urging the provincial government to advocate more strongly on behalf of affected workers.
‘These young people are more than just names in a database,’ said Sayed. ‘They’re caregivers, students, and community builders. Ignoring their plight is not only irresponsible, it’s unethical.’
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The WCED has attributed the payment delay to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which, along with the Department of Employment and Labour, manages stipends tied to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
According to WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond, two payment systems exist: assistants managed directly by the department have been paid, while those linked to the UIF system are still awaiting payment.
‘We understand how deeply this affects assistants and their families. While we’re actively engaging on the matter, our ability to influence outcomes has been limited,’ Hammond said.
Despite the WCED’s clarification, Sayed has called for urgent measures to support unpaid assistants and for the department to place additional pressure on the relevant national entities to expedite payments.
According to Smile FM, the department has indicated that payments are expected to be processed between 4 and 9 August.
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