Update

GEORGE NEWS - Ronnelie Meyer, Africa Skills College CEO, responded to an article in the George Herald of 2 May regarding a student protest about late payment of stipends for March.

She could not be reached for comment before that issue went to print. Meyer confirmed that learners received their March stipends on 26 April. She said the Ceta (Construction Education and Training Authority) that is responsible for their stipends, works on a system whereby the training provider, in this case Africa Skills, submits the learner evidence for payment of stipends by the end of the month. 

"The stipend period is from the first until the last day of the month. Processing and payment of the learner stipends from the Ceta can then be expected from the 7th to the 15th of the next month, therefore April stipends should be received in the period 7 to 15 May." 

She said learners participating in unauthorised protest action and causing disruption to the learners who do wish to attend classes are in violation of the disciplinary code and legal action can be taken. 

"The focus is on developing learners and providing them with a skill that can be sustainable for them in the future. It is a three-year commitment from our side as well as the learners', and this really is where the focus should be. We as Africa Skills understand our learners' predicament if the Ceta does not pay their stipends by the due date. The same applies to us as a training provider - if the learners aren't receiving payment, we as a training provider are also not receiving training payment."

Meyer said they do their best to keep following up with the Ceta to ensure that delays in their payment runs are communicated to learners. "We have our learners' best interests at heart."