Pretoria - Overdue payments for over 80 000 Census 2022 fieldworkers should reflect in their bank accounts come Monday, Stats SA reported.
According to StatsSA spokesperson Trevor Oosterwyk, the organisation had just recently effected a payment run for fieldworkers who were still owed their February salaries.
Oosterwyk said following the current payment of workers, which should reflect on Monday, the organisation would have a better idea of just how many workers were still owed their money.
By their records, he said roughly between 80 000 and 90 000 workers across all the provinces were still awaiting their salaries.
The spokesperson reiterated the organisations' assertions that the delays in payments to workers were a result of the government's Persal system and incorrect banking details provided by the workers.
"StatsSA is experiencing a lot of money being returned from the banks because they just don't know who the money belongs to. People should not underestimate the amount of administrative work required to see this through."
"We understand their frustrations and pain but we're pleading for a bit of patience as we are sorting out the queries and doing the verifications as well as figuring out who has worked."
Oosterwyk continued to urge unpaid workers to contact the helpline, even though many fieldworkers alleged they could not reach anyone when they contacted the helpline.
He added that the issue of delayed salaries affected small pockets of workers in every province.
"The money should reflect in their bank accounts come Monday and we're hoping that there will only be a few workers left to pay off."
Tshwane workers who protested outside the StatsSA building in Pretoria last week over the delayed payments indicated that they were assured by the management that three runs would be affected to cover all the outstanding workers.
Convenor of the march Moagi Thebe said they were hoping that all payments would be made by today, however, the problems persisted.
"We are dealing with professional scammers, they make sure those who are waiting for March salaries relax so they can push work over the weekend," said one fieldworker.
"Schools open next week and we don't have anything, no transport money, no pocket money for our kids or their school needs, but those who employed us don't care that we desperately need this money," wrote another fieldworker.
Pretoria News