Following the conclusion of the fourth phase of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), thousands of Education Assistants (EAs) are now unemployed. The Department of Employment and Labour in the Limpopo Province is gearing up for the second leg of its "Taking Services to the People '' Campaign to assist former EAs submit unemployment benefit claims.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) provides temporary financial relief to individuals who contribute to the fund. These contributions are deducted from salaries every month.
Teaching assistants are eligible to receive UIF benefits as they previously contributed to the UIF while they were working. Their UIF contributions were deducted from their monthly remuneration before being paid into their bank accounts.
As part of the Taking Services to the People campaign which in began in November 2023 following the expiration of contracts for former teaching assistants in September of the same year, specifically targets an estimated 35,000 teaching assistants in the Limpopo Province. Since its inception, the initiative has successfully processed over nine thousand applications.
Vuledzani Netshituka, Director of Beneficiary Services at UIF, emphasised the importance of former teaching assistants seizing this opportunity directly to their communities. Despite a significantly high number of affected individuals, Netshituka noted that not all teaching assistants have come forward for assistance.
It is our mission to bring our services closer to the people, reducing the burden of travel and addressing the high influx of clients at our offices…through this initiative, we aim to ensure that all former EAs ultimately receive their rightful benefits from the Fund.
Netshituka also reassured former teaching assistants falling under phases one, two, and three that the department is actively working to resolve undeclared and expired claims. They said the UIF communicates any solutions through various channels once they are identified.
To enhance the employment prospects of former teaching assistants, the Department's Public Employment Services (PES) branch will be present on-site during the campaign. They will register CVs on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system, providing potential avenues for future employment opportunities.
The campaign's first week, running from Monday 15 January to Friday, 19 January 2024, will be conducted in various districts:
Mopani East
15 – 19 January & 22 – 26 January 2024 at the Banquet Hall in Giyani
Mopani West
15 – 19 January & 22 – 26 January 2024 at the Tivumbeni College in Tzaneen
Sekhukhune South:
15 – 19 January 2024 at the Kgoshi Morwangwato in Jane Furse
Sekhukhune East
22 – 26 January 2024 at the Sehlaku Technical High in Driekop
Mogalakwena
- 15 – 17 January 2024: Mahwelereng Circuit
- 18 – 19 January 2024: Mapela Circuit
- 22 January 2024: Mapela Circuit
- 23 - 26 January 2024: Mogalakwena Circuit
All former teaching assistants are encouraged to bring their ID/passport documents and banking details. Sessions will run from 07:30 – 16:00. The campaign aims to ensure teaching assistants have access to the financial support they are entitled to while also providing them with the opportunity to access new opportunities.
