Gauteng Skills Program Payment Delays Leave Participants Struggling

The Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s heralded skills development program, Nasi Ispani’s iCrush No Lova, designed to transform the livelihoods of 3,000 unemployed people across the province, has entangled participants in a financial crisis due to unpaid stipends. Launched in early April amid great expectations, the program now faces intense scrutiny as beneficiaries reel under its failed promises.

Excitement and optimism shrouded the program's initiation, where half a million applicants envisaged a brighter future. However, the much-anticipated monthly payment of R2,000 has yet to materialize for many, leaving dependents like 28-year-old Mbali Matiwane of Daveyton to grapple with the emotional and financial distress as her anticipated financial support system crumbled.

While the program offered hope to many, such as the ability to afford driving lessons or assist jobless family members, the delay in payments has yielded an adverse effect. Beneficiaries, counting on these funds, feel trapped in a situation where they cannot seek alternative relief or job opportunities. Mbali's plight amplifies the discontent among many participants, who have ceased completing assignments and signing attendance registers in protest against the broken promises.

The Gauteng province had allocated a substantial R8.4 billion for this innovative skills initiative, indicating a significant commitment to alleviating unemployment. However, discrepancies such as duplicated entries on attendance registers have emerged as roadblocks, prompting the Verification Process from Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to delay the disbursement of funds to ensure the integrity of the program.

The Department of Labour and UIF, responding to these setbacks, places the blame on SADICO for administrative irregularities. These include the submission of non-compliant evidence in their invoices, which must depict signed attendance registers that corroborate learners' attendance without inconsistencies. Despite the department’s allocation of officials to assist SADICO in rectifying the issues expediently, participants like Veronica Mangana from Tembisa continue to suffer from the inaction that has followed.

The saga illuminates the complications and bureaucratic challenges that often beleaguer government-funded skills programs. UIF has been clear in its stance that payments will only be issued for compliant invoices, assuring that a thorough verification process is in place to prevent undue benefits from UIF funds. The pledge of resolutions and internal approval processes have been communicated, but as the practicality of unpaid stipends weighs heavily on the beneficiaries, resolutions can’t come soon enough.

As the program approaches its purported conclusion in December, the focus remains on whether the UIF and SADICO can streamline their systems and fulfill their commitments to the program’s participants. With their livelihoods at stake, the urgency for a resolution is critical.