10 Apr 2014

Parliament has been informed that the Remote Area Service Allowance (RASA) has never been suspended.

Responding to a question from the MP for Ngami Mr Taolo Habano, the Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said areas that qualified for RASA were reviewed from time to time.

He said all employees in RASA earning areas received it. However, it had been established that 50 teachers at Etsha Junior Secondary School were owed arrears while two teachers were erroneously omitted when payments were effected.

The minister said these anomalies had been corrected and it was expected that the affected teachers would be paid by end of May this year.

MP Habano had asked whether RASA had been suspended; and why employees in some departments were paid RASA while others are not especially in Etsha 13, Etsha 6 and Etsha 1, citing examples of teachers who did not receive RASA while Tribal Administration staff did. ENDS