The turmoil in the Energy and Water Sector Education Training Authority’s (EWSETA) apprenticeship programme keeps escalating.

Students alleged they had only received stipends of R250 instead of R2 500. Some allegedly had not received a stipend at all, and some alleged their stipend had been slightly reduced by about R100.

Collen Nkosi, the students’ representative, said only a few of them got the entire stipend.

“Some of them are losing hope and dropping out due to the never-ending issues. It is unclear how some of the students’ stipends were only R250 and not R2 500.”

On the students’ apprenticeship contracts, MTL Training and Projects, is stated as the skills development provider, the City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM) as the employer.

It is an artisan occupational plumber apprenticeship. The programme consists of theory and practicals. The students normally receive a monthly stipend of R2 500 each. Approximately 150 students have been placed all over CMLM to do the practical part of their learnership.

After Lowvelder had approached EWSETA, MTL and CMLM regarding non-payment last week, Mbali Majola of MTL said, “The students are paid.”

Nkosi said, “The issue of payment has been a problem since last year. We have tried to communicate with EWSETA to intervene; we approached CMLM and have tried to communicate our discomfort to MTL. We had to approach the public protector, EFF and also SAPS.”

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The municipal spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said, “The municipality remains a host employer in the sense that it provides facilities for training as well as for practical work, but it is not involved in the payment arrangements.”

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At the time of going to press, EWSETA marketing and communication manager, Elfrieda Tyrer, acknowledged receiving the queries and said she was working on gathering information to answer all questions.