Substitute teachers who braved the pandemic in Mpumalanga have allegedly not been paid. These are about 220 educators who were temporarily appointed by the Department of Education (DoE) to work after some full-time staff members were granted comorbidity concessions.

They were distributed to approximately 41 schools in the province during lockdown level 2. With the country currently being under lockdown level 1, the permanent teachers have returned, however, according to the substitute staff, they are still waiting for payment.

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According to Lindokuhle Mnisi, who was appointed at Benjamin Primary School in Mastulu, they started a WhatsApp group after they all realised that three months had passed and they had not been paid.

“Our greatest concern is that the department sent out a curricular stating that it does not have funds to pay us. This is what is worrying all of us since we were told we would be compensated when we were appointed as substitute teachers. We had hoped that the minister would intervene, but we have realised that it is a provincial problem, not a national one as substitute staff in other provinces were paid.”

Mnisi said as single mother, it has not been easy since she has responsibilities.

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“I moved from my home in KaBokweni so I can be closer to work. This means I need to pay rent and not receiving my salary has resulted in me having to borrow money so we can survive. I am not the only teacher who is unable to pay rent and see to my responsibilities. We are all struggling and we wish the department would just pay us,” she said.

Mnisi added that she loves teaching and even if the three-month period they were granted has passed, she is still volunteering at the school. Walter Hlayise, provincial secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, said the union in Mpumalanga is displeased that to date, these teachers remain unpaid.

“They were legitimately employed by school principals to ensure learners had a teacher in every class. We call on the department to honour the contracts entered into with the educators and pay them without further delay,” he said. Lowvelder Express contacted the DoE, but at the time of going to press it had not responded.