Education Department has, however, denied claims that there are teachers who did not get paid their salaries in December
LOCAL teachers plan to embark on a peaceful demonstration at the offices of the Northern Cape Department of Education in Kimberley after they claim they were not paid their December salaries.
The teachers, who are all substitutes, said they had a bleak festive season without their salaries, and that many of them had camped outside the department’s offices on a daily basis since before Christmas to try and find out when they would be paid.
At least 20 substitute teachers have apparently been affected.
The Northern Cape Department of Education has, however, denied claims that there are teachers who did not get paid their salaries in December.
Department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said on Tuesday that their records do not reflect any payment errors of such a nature.
“According to our records, all teachers got paid,” said Van der Merwe.
He urged any teacher who has not yet received his or her salary to contact him directly to resolve the matter.
One of the affected teachers, Christopher van Heerden, expressed disappointment in the department’s response.
Van Heerden said that he had received a notification from the department that confirmed that he was not paid.
“On the day when I asked for a confirmation letter there were several equally frustrated teachers, whom the department claims not to know about today,” he said. “Why will the department even deny it? This is a clear indication of how our government disregards us.
“The notification letter clearly stated that ‘due to unforeseen circumstances your salary could not be processed’,” Van Heerden elaborated.
He added that they never received a proper explanation from the department about what had happened to their salaries.
“We get limited information from inside sources at the department.
“I won’t be victimised by the department, because I am a qualified teacher,” he concluded.
