Several teacher assistants in Giyani say they have gone unpaid for June and July, but the department says all payments have been made.
The DA is asking Limpopo MEC for basic education Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya for her immediate intervention regarding the claimed nonpayment of teacher assistants in several schools in the Giyani area of Mopani district.
The party said it was this week inundated with calls from teacher assistants saying they were not paid salaries for June and July.
But the department said the DA was “barking up the wrong tree”.
The role of teacher assistants
DA provincial spokesperson on basic education Jacques Smalle said teacher assistants play a vital role.
The programme was important as it supports the department in its day-today work in the school community.
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“The province has over 10 000 teacher assistants and it is unclear how many of them are unpaid,” said Smalle yesterday.
“This betrays the spirit of an initiative meant to create job opportunities for youth interested in education. We call on MEC Ramakhanya to urgently investigate the matter.”
Frustration over lack of feedback
Two teacher assistants from Giyani confirmed they did not get their salaries for June and July.
“When we talk to the department at circuit level, they send us from pillar to post. They claim they are working on the matter but later fail to pick up our calls for feedback.”
The department brushed the allegations aside, claiming all assistant teachers were paid in line with the service level agreement.
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