Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube Addresses BEEI Stipend Delays in Joint Briefing with Labour
Pretoria, 08 October 2025 – Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has attributed recent stipend payment delays for education and general school assistants to administrative hold-ups in uploading and verifying attendance registers. These safeguards, essential for preventing corruption, ensure funds go only to active participants, but have caused frustration for thousands. Gwarube, alongside Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya, is hosting a joint media briefing today to outline resolutions and prevent future issues.
This comes amid a blame game between departments, with calls for accountability as over 158,000 assistants await relief. The Basic Education Employment Initiative, vital for school support and youth jobs, risks losing trust if delays persist. As government pledges swift fixes, stakeholders hope today’s update brings concrete steps forward.
The briefing at the Government Communication and Information System Auditorium aims to clarify the path ahead, following urgent engagements between role players.
Causes of the Payment Delays Explained
Gwarube highlighted that verification processes, requiring schools and provinces to submit attendance registers with biometric confirmations, are mandatory to ensure accountability. “This verification is a mandatory step to ensure that government funds are not paid to those workers, or even people who are no longer showing up to work, to provide the services that they are paid for,” she said. An internal probe revealed incomplete uploads by the deadline, stalling payouts.
She stressed these measures combat corruption: “We all know too well that well-meaning projects are often infiltrated and compromised by corrupt elements.” The delays affected September stipends, leaving many in financial distress.
Blame Game Between Departments
A public spat emerged, with Employment and Labour accusing Basic Education of withholding documents, while Gwarube denied this, saying her department had complied. The joint briefing signals a resolution after urgent talks. Gwarube apologised, pledging no further delays.
Impact on Assistants and BEEI Programme
Over 158,000 assistants in the Basic Education Employment Initiative have been hit, facing hardships like unpaid bills. Unions and communities have voiced outrage, calling for better coordination.
The programme, aimed at youth employment and school support, risks credibility if issues recur. Gwarube’s intervention seeks to restore payments and prevent future lapses.
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