THREE ECDOE OFFICIALS IMPLICATED IN THE PAYMENT OF EAs AND GAs GLITCHES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED
Following the successful implementation of transfers of funds to schools for the payment of Education Assistants (EAs) and General School Assistants (GSAs) stipends in December 2021, three Eastern Cape Department of Education officials implicated in the payment debacle have been suspended.
This follows the discovery of discrepancies while conducting reconciliation after the implementation of payment to schools. The discrepancies discovered include non-payment of some participating schools (special and section 20 schools), underpayment of schools, overpayment of schools and payment of schools that opted out of the initiative.
The disciplinary processes is for failing to perform their duties in as far as the wrong payments to schools. This consequence management process is meant to allow for smooth investigations internally. Furthermore, the department will subject the transfer payment system to forensic investigation too.
School Governing Bodies (SGBs), school principals and circuit managers have been instructed to ensure that any payment received should be used for the intended purpose, which is solely for the payment of stipends for EAs and GSAs as per the grant framework.
SGBs and principals of schools that received overpayments have been instructed not to use the surplus for other purposes other than the PEYI, and the non-participating schools that received payment erroneously, urged not to utilise the money until further notice from the department.
Schools that did not receive any payments, and those that were underpaid, will be included in the subsequent run scheduled to take place soon. Furthermore, Circuit Managers have been instructed to consolidate reports from their respective schools (circuit) and submit such reports to the District Director who in turn will submit a consolidated District report to head office.
The department urges schools that have been overpaid to submit salary advice and salary receipt registers of EAs and GSAs and will be advised on the processes to follow once the reconciliation is finalised by the provincial office. All schools are required to submit this information to the office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on Monday, 10 January 2022.
20 of the schools omitted from the payment run, however they will all be included in the next scheduled run.
