POLOKWANE – After promising a 1% bonus to teachers in the province, the Department of Education has apologised “for an empty promise”.

Angry teachers said the Superintendent General of the Department of Education, Prof Harry Nenngwekhulu, promised them a bonus. Mirror managed to get hold of the letter signed by the Head of Department of Education, informing all tutors that the department is apologising.

“The Department of Education would like to recommit itself to the letter and spirit of Resolution 4 of 2003 in its totality. The resolution’s intention is to open up career paths and opportunities for institution-based educa-tors, while also improving the conditions of service for the institution-based educators,” wrote the head of the department.

The head of the department further said that the Department of Education has erroneously communicated with institution-based educators that they may be paid a 1% pay progression, owed to them in respect of IQMS for 2003, which led to high expectations from the teaching fraternity. It has since been established that all teachers have received the above payments.

“The department would like to apologise to all educators for the unfortunate message sent out to our hardworking teaching corps. The department has taken corrective steps to ensure that this miscommunication will not happen again. As Head of the Department, I convey my sincerest apology to all our educators for the inconvenience caused. The department relies on your support as we tackle educational challenges through collective engagement and participation until all the doors of learning are open to all,” said the head of Department.

The Democratic Alliance in the Limpopo Province condemned the empty promise of Nengwekhulu and further said that Nengwekhulu should be held accountable for his statement that caused problems in the teaching fraternity. “His retraction statement has damped teachers’ morale,” said Mr Avhashoni Mathivha.