Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would say the person at the bottom doesn't always get accurate information either! However, given that there are different features to the implementation I've referred to, yesterday I directed my department to send out a team for the next two weeks in order to investigate school to school, across the country, exactly what is happening.

However, I would be very wary of wanting to have a situation in which a demand is made that we retrieve enough finances to pay back the "no-work, no-pay" deduction. I would not agree to that. So we must be very clear that we cannot insist that we teach from Grade R to Grade 12 so that each one of us who went on strike recovers the money that we lost as a result of the "no-work, no-pay" rule. If we engage in strike action, it is standard practice that there is a "no-work, no-pay" rule.

The stipend we have put forward is merely to really recognise the effort that educators say they wish to make to support children to learn. My appeal nationally has been: Let us as parents and adults assist children to use the material we are providing because, as I said, we had no notion that the strike might end in three weeks or 30 days. Therefore we had said to the community and to the nation: Let us get our children learning. I still think it is incumbent on us to do so.

The notion that we will get every teacher in class is belied by some of what we see. However, while we note that there is someone not teaching, there are thousands whom we thank because they are actually going well beyond the call of duty. We recognise that there is an effort out there. So let us get our children learning; let us support the children in learning; and let us encourage those teachers who wish to continue doing what is necessary to assist South Africa to achieve and learn.

Timeframe for issuing of identity documents

270. Ms S Rajbally (MF) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a) What is the timeframe for the issuing of identity documents upon application and (b) how does her department measure the consistency of this? NO1952E