A woman residing in Bellevue, Gauteng, is facing a perplexing situation as she dodges calls from well-wishers eager to help her access an unexpected windfall of R2 million from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
This peculiar turn of events unfolded when the woman, who previously worked as a domestic worker, attempted to register for UIF, only to discover that she had been employed as a teacher by the Department of Education.
Last month, ILANGA reported on the case of Mrs. Thandi Shabangu, a 61-year-old woman who encountered a bureaucratic hiccup at the Department of Labor while seeking UIF registration.
She was informed that she was entitled to a substantial sum of money due to her status as a teacher.
Mrs. Shabangu confided in ILANGA that she has declined to accept the R2 million payout, fearing potential complications with the government.
She explained that although she aspired to become a teacher, she possessed a Form 1 qualification, equivalent to today’s Grade 8, which made it unlikely for her to secure a teaching position.
Since her story gained attention, Mrs. Shabangu has been inundated with calls from individuals offering assistance to expedite her access to the funds.
Curiously, these callers advise her against visiting the Department of Labor, assuring her that they can resolve the matter on her behalf.
“I LANGA helped me by intervening, communicating with the Ministry of Education and Labor as my case is being handled diligently. I am getting confused by these phone calls, people saying they will help me. I’m still not comfortable now because when I ask the callers where they got my number, they don’t want to say it. It’s like I’m a rude person to them because I’m getting annoyed by calls from people I don’t know,” Mrs. Shabangu expressed.
Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope regarding her UIF entitlement, as she anticipates the first payment to be processed by mid-month.
She revealed that, with the assistance of the Department of Labor, they were able to locate her UIF claim after she filed a police affidavit.
The source has verified the existence of a document from the Department of Labor detailing the UIF amount due to Mrs. Shabangu.
Officials from the Department of Labor in KwaZulu-Natal and the Education Department in the province, Mr. Nhlanhla Khumalo and Mr. Muzi Mahlambi, respectively, have pledged swift intervention to aid Mrs. Shabangu.
Both have requested her contact details to investigate the discrepancy surrounding her teacher status.
