11 Feb 2020

Due to funding constraints, Ministry of Basic Education has delayed paying subventions amounting to P32 million to Sports Associations to cover ball sports activities of July 2019.

Assistant Minister of Basic Education, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja told Parliament on Monday that the money would be paid before the end of July 2020.

Ms Makwinja said she was not aware that there were some teachers who participated in sport activities in March 2019, who had not been paid their dues.

Responding to a question from Member of Parliament for Ngami, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama, the assistant minister said those teachers, who participated in athletics competitions in March 2019 had been paid by the sports associations.

She however explained that her ministry was still to assist the associations with their subvention to cover ball sports activities of July 2019.

The assistant minister said it was possible that some teachers might choose not to participate in sport this year.

She however added that many of the teachers were dedicated and passionate and would continue to support sport in schools unconditionally.

“The ministry has seen a large increase in sports disciplines and the associated costs of overtime and logistics.

Overtime is negotiated and giving time off is an option to reduce the financial burden as per the Employment Act, which stipulates how overtime should be paid,” she said.

Ms Makwinja explained that teachers were required to adhere to school timetables, which require them to be in schools Monday to Friday, and therefore, they could not just take days off in lieu of overtime where funding was not available.

She further said her ministry took the decision to work with the sports associations to see how best to engage teachers and compensate them appropriately for sports participation.

Mr Hikuama had asked the assistant minister if she was aware that there were teachers who were engaged in some sporting activities in March 2019 for school athletics competitions and ball sport games in July 2019 under the agreement that they would be paid some nominal allowance of P500 per day.

He also wanted to know when the ministry would honour the agreement and pay the owed teachers their dues and if the delayed payment would not affect their future participation in the extra-curricular activities and eventually national sports performance.

Ngami legislator also wanted to know what necessitated this kind of payment against the overtime rate payment as stipulated in the Employment Act Section 95. ENDS