The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has paid out a staggering figure of R22.6 million to former teaching and general assistants. The payments were processed between 20 and 23 February 2023, when the UIF took services directly to clients via its mobile buses.
The 4 942 employees were temporarily working under the Harry Gwala and iLembe District Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).
The PYEI was implemented as part of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) and spans across all nine provinces, in an effort to reduce youth unemployment in the country.
Employment within the PYEI (under the Basic Education Sector) is only for a few months, as each Phase brings in new groups of unemployed youth so that they may also have an opportunity for temporary employment.
Phase Four of the PYEI began in February 2023.
Government has actually been encouraging former teaching and general assistants to apply for unemployment relief, as they meet the eligibility requirements to receive temporary money from the Fund.
The campaign started last year, during November 2022, under Amajuba District Municipality, where the Fund disbursed R7.7 million to another 1,746 former educator assistants and general assistants, and proceeded to eThekwini and Pinetown in December 2022, where R28.8 million was paid out to 6 204 beneficiaries.
The campaign has moved on to Zululand, uMgungundlovu, uThukela, Ugu, iLembe and Harry Gwala Districts.
“To date, a cumulative R98.4 million has been paid out to 22 037 beneficiaries, who were employed in the aforementioned districts. From 6 March 2023, the Fund will continue with processing and paying out claims in areas around the uMkhanyakude and uMzinyathi District Municipalities," said the Department of Employment and Labour.
The fund will continue with processing and paying out of claims in areas around the Zululand District Municipality on the following dates:
- uMkhanyakude District, on 6 March 2023 at Manguzi Education Centre
- Ngwavuma, on 7 March 2023 at Sisizakele Special School
- Jozini, at Sinethezekile Secondary School on 8 March 2023
- Mtubatubaat Inkosi Mzondeni Hall near kwaMsane Clinic between 9-10 March 2023
- uMzinyathi District, from 6-7 March 2023, at Spring Lake High School (Endumeni/ Nquthu)
- Ukukhanya komsinga Special School in Msinga from 8-9 March 2023 ; and 10 March 2023 at Greytown High School.
The dates and venues for the final District, King Cetshwayo, will be announced in due course on the Fund’s social media platforms and through the media.
“To increase the employment prospects of former teaching and general assistants, the Department of Employment and Labour’s Public Employment Services (PES) branch will be present on-site to register the CVs of the unemployed clients on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system. This service has been a standard feature of the campaign since it started,” stated the Department.
ESSA is a system where work seekers can register their CVs for possible jobs and also search and apply for new job opportunities.
