Gauteng teacher dismissed without pay after irregular appointment

There is a rise in irregular temporary, permanent or acting appointments, the Gauteng department of education warned.

In one such case, a Grade 2 substitute teacher who was irregularly appointed had a contractual dispute and was subsequently dismissed.

The teacher, who was appointed to teach isiZulu, English, maths and life skills, alleged she was appointed by the deputy principal in May at Ntokozweni Primary School in Springs.

Dismissed teacher’s contract temporary appointed by department

The principal and the school’s governing (SGB) body chair signed off on an application for a contract temporary appointment by the Gauteng department.

She claimed her contract stipulates that she would earn R29 000, however “they said they are rushing to send the forms to the district so that my payment will be processed”, said the teacher.

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In July, she was suddenly told “there are challenges with regards to the processing of my payments and thus, the school intends to pay me from the SGB coffers an amount of R250 per day”.

“I could not get a clear explanation in the meeting with both the principal and her deputy.”

She said while she went back and forth between them and the district, she was simply dismissed without an official letter and took the matter to the Education Labour Relations Council.

Fighting with department

As the mother of a newborn baby, she had incurred financial challenges and had to borrow money for transport, and now finds herself fighting with the department, still without being paid.

The department’s Xolani Mkhwemte said the appointment was rejected “because they engaged the educator without permission to assume duty and that would be an irregular appointment.

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“The school then decided to appoint her to an SGB post after realising the department would not process her appointment.

“However, the teacher is refusing the SGB post, citing an insufficient salary, citing a preference for the salary paid by the department” said Mkhwemte.

In the letter sent by the department to its officials, it states that “assumption of duty in a post without the obligatory appointment letter is not allowed and may result in nonpayment for services rendered.”