Johannah Malogadihlare
THE Gauteng Education (GDE) MEC Matome Chiloane is expected to meet Gauteng Youth Brigade (GYB) candidates after their protest last week over the renewal of their contracts.
GYB beneficiaries at the Sol Plaatjie House in Tshwane staged a protest, in an attempt to lock down the building and demand permanent employment.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Sihle Mzizi said they demanded answers from both the Premier as well as Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
“We have locked down the place, nobody is going inside, nobody is coming outside,” Mzizi said.
In a written communication seen by Inside Education, Chiloane’s office said the meeting will take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday after the contracts for 32,000 teaching assistants ended on 31 July prompting a protest by the beneficiaries who said Premier Panyaza Lesufi had promised to extend it to 2025.
Speaking at Dobsonville Stadium earlier this year, Lesufi had initially promised an extension of the programme until 2025. However candidates were informed of the summary termination at the end of July.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the sudden cut was due to a lack of funding, despite the provincial government carrying the cost of the programme for six months following a drop in funding from the national education department.
“It is important to note that we no longer receive any funding from the National Department of Basic Education, consequently we have no option but to terminate the program,” he said.
Mabona said GYB were part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), started by the presidency as part of the Covid-19 relief programs to schools, funded by the National Treasury and managed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) provincially.
However, Mabona said the department has repeatedly insisted and informed the candidates that the initiative was never intended to be a permanent employment opportunity.
“The intention of this programme was to afford the youth, on a rotational basis, an opportunity to earn an income while benefiting from training and gaining experience,” he said.
He said the PYEI was managed in phases based on the availability of funds, with each phase duly advertised and the duration of which clearly communicated to all stakeholders.
Mabona confirmed that the conclusion of the initiative at the end of September last year was scheduled in all provinces, and said the Gauteng department subsequently decided to enter into new contracts with GYB candidates for a six month period which ended in July.
“The GDE fulfilled this mandate using its own resources and wishes to clarify that there was no promise to extend these contracts beyond July 2024,” he said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
