The departments also issued an apology for the delays, acknowledging the hardship caused to assistants and their families.
Several education assistants employed under the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) say delayed stipend payments have left them in debt, hungry, and emotionally drained, with some questioning whether the same issue will recur at the end of October.
Assistants told The Citizen they finally received their stipends on 8 October, a week after the initial payment date.
Lerato Ngwedi said the delay had devastating consequences for her and her family.
“It affected me negatively because I owe people money, and I had no food in the fridge. I had to borrow more money to compensate for the days I didn’t get paid,” she said.
Ngwedi, the sole breadwinner at home, said the delay meant her unemployed mother had to go without food or medication.
“If I weren’t paid, I would not have toiletries or transport to show up for work. I would be starving in the dark with no electricity,” she said.
Although relieved to have finally received her stipend, Ngwedi said the payment came too late to offer much comfort.
“I am happy I got paid. However, I am still in debt because the money all went to pay people I owe,” she added.
‘It doesn’t feel exciting to be paid’
Another assistant, Betty Smith, said the late payment was not only demoralising but also forced many to make financial sacrifices just to survive.
“It doesn’t feel exciting to be paid because it’s late. Now, it has to cover all back debts that you made from last month to the 8th,” Smith said.
She added that the contract condition requiring assistants to live within a 5km radius of their schools was meant to help them avoid transport costs, but that did little to shield them from the financial stress of delayed payments.
“When payments are delayed, it forces us to make debts, which we can’t pay back because the stipends are also not enough,” she said.
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Department apologises
In a joint statement issued last week, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) confirmed that a resolution had been reached to address the payment delays.
“Following intensive engagements which continued late into the night, the parties have agreed on a way forward that ensures both compliance with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and timely relief to beneficiaries,” it said.
The DBE said payments began flowing from 10am on 8 October, with those banking with Capitec and First National Bank receiving funds first, while other banks would process payments through standard interbank clearance times.
The departments also issued an apology for the delays, acknowledging the hardship caused to assistants and their families.
“We acknowledge that the delays in verifying attendance of Education Assistants and General School Assistants were unacceptable and caused undue hardship. For this, the government unreservedly apologises,” the DBE said.
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‘Accountability with compassion’
To prevent future delays, the department said it would submit compliance documents within agreed timelines, improve the Kwantu payment system, and establish a joint technical team to fast-track verification processes.
The DBE further noted that the BEEI would become a standing item at management meetings across all levels of the education system and warned that “consequence management will follow” if negligence was found to have caused the delay.
While the government has assured assistants that corrective steps are underway, for many like Ngwedi and Smith, the damage has already been done.
“We’re grateful to be paid, but it’s not that exciting anymore,” Smith said.
Names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities.
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