Lefhoko was answering a question from the Tonota legislator Pono Moatlhodi, who had asked whether parallel progression arrears had been paid out to all primary school teachers south of Dibete.
Moatlhodi also wanted to know the criteria that government used to pay the teachers in the affected areas and when they would be paid.
“Given the current rate of payment, it is reasonable to estimate that by December 2004, all eligible teachers will have received parallel progression arrears payment,” Lefhoko said.
He added that the areas have not yet been paid to some teachers south of Dibete.
Moatlhodi had insinuated that there is favouritism in the payout of the parallel progression arrears.
“Parallel progression payments are done school by school and college by college right across the country at the rate of 1000 teachers a month without giving any part of the country any favourable treatment over the others,” Lefhoko said.
So far, more than 2651 teachers are said to have been paid. But some reports indicate that there are over 22 000 teachers who are owed parallel progression back payments.
Teachers’ unions have said that they do not believe that the government would be able to meet the target it has set for itself.
“We are very bitter because of the slow rate of payment of arrears and we take it that government wants to fix us because the matter was long resolved in court,” Oifang Mokalake, Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) assistant administrative secretary said.
Some teachers are owed up to P50 000 in the parallel progression system, which was to be implemented in 1994, but was delayed until 1996.
