The departments of basic education and employment and labour announced on Friday they have addressed stipend payment delays for education assistants and general school assistants for September.
The affected assistants are employed in schools and funded outside the National Treasury allocations.
The departments said the delay was due to challenges with the timely submission and verification of documents from schools to the programme’s funder.
“It is important to note that assistants employed in schools funded directly by the National Treasury are not affected by this delay and will receive their stipends as scheduled,” the departments said in a statement.
They assured candidates that payments will be made in time.
“Working closely with partners, the departments have implemented measures to resolve the documentation requirements urgently, ensuring compliance with the funder’s processes.
“Affected assistants can therefore expect their stipends to be disbursed in due course.”
Phase V of the programme started in June, offering about 200,000 unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 34 assistant positions in public schools. Candidates receive a stipend of R4,000 and R30 for data a month. The six-month programme ends in November.
The departments urged candidates to approach the district and provincial teams for further assistance.
“The departments reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that all young people in the programme are paid without further delay. We extend our sincere appreciation to the assistants for their patience and understanding during this period.”
TimesLIVE
