School jobs-for-cash report ignored

Nearly 10 years after the “capture” of the basic education department by unions was first exposed, none of the recommendations made by the ministerial task team appointed to investigate the sale of jobs have been implemented.

In recent reports, both Corruption Watch and the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) have identified the failure to implement the recommendations — including the pressing of criminal charges — by the national and provincial basic education departments.

One whistleblower, who helped expose the rot in 2013, is fearing for his life after again lodging a complaint with the Gauteng education department over alleged irregularities in the awarding of a principal’s post at a Soweto school in February.

Ntlantla Sebele, a technology and maths teacher at Northview High School in Johannesburg, told the Mail & Guardian he had received two “visits” at his home from unknown men after he laid the grievance and an armed man had arrived at the school on 2 May looking for him.

Sebele is on incapacity leave from work after being diagnosed with depression, having unsuccessfully approached the police, the education department and parliament for protection.

He first blew the whistle in 2013 after being asked by an official from the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) to pay R30 000 for a post at a Soweto school.

Sebele refused to pay and went public on the matter, along with a number of other whistleblowers at schools around the country who came forward after the story of Sadtu selling posts broke.

The subsequent outcry forced Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to appoint a ministerial task team, chaired by John Volmink, which made a series of recommendations for ending union influence in appointments.

It also advised that criminal charges be laid in 38 of the 81 cases it investigated in which evidence of criminality had been discovered.

“I found it sickening that people who were qualified were not being given an opportunity and that underqualified people were being given jobs on the basis of payments or because of who they associate with,” Sebele said. 

“I spoke out because I wanted the minister to do something about it.”

He said, despite the appointment of the task team, which later delivered recommendations on remedial action, his matter had never been taken further.

“The last time anybody spoke to me was when I was complaining. 

“I was called by somebody from a law firm but they never came to see me and seek more information from me,” he said.

He had unsuccessfully applied for more than 30 posts since then and believes that the failure to advance in his career is a result of blowing the whistle a decade ago.

Earlier this year, he applied for the post of principal at Northview, where he teaches grade eight and nine learners, with no success. 

He again decided to take up the matter with the education authorities because he believed the process had been flawed.

“I wasn’t even shortlisted, despite having all the necessary qualifications and experience. I then lodged a dispute. 

“A few days later, I drove home for work and there was a car with no number plates parked outside my house. When I drove in they said, ‘We know where your wife works,’ and left,” Sebele said.

On another occasion, Sebele found a man sitting in a car with tinted windows outside his house. The man eventually drove off.

Then, on 2 May, an armed man arrived at the school looking for Sebele, who had gone home early because it was his birthday.

Sebele then approached the educational department, parliament and the police but was unable to secure any protection. 

He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to get an update on what action had been taken to implement the task team’s recommendations.

“For me, this is all part of the intimidation and harassment that have happened since I lodged the dispute. 

“I wrote to the dispute committee, and they ignored me. I approached the portfolio committee and they sent a communication to the director general [of education]. I was referred to a director who said I should go to the police,” Sebele said.

“I went to the police and they said this was a whistleblowing matter that should be handled by the head of department and the provincial commissioner. I gave that information back to the director and haven’t heard anything since.” 

The stress of living under threat and of banging on doors with no success eventually took its toll on Sebele.

“Unfortunately, that was when I had to be admitted to hospital for depression. I am still on incapacity leave,” Sebele said.

“I am getting a sense that there is not a willingness to implement the recommendations. It appears the status quo remains and that there is no urgency to do anything about it.”

In February, a CDE report, titled The Silent Crisis: The Forgotten Story of State Capture in Education, said none of the ministerial task team’s recommendations had been implemented and its findings had “largely been forgotten by the public and ignored by the government”.

“In spite of the department of basic education leadership initially taking this seriously and promising to do something about it, words did not translate into action,” the report said.

According to the CDE, Volmink had confirmed this lack of implementation in September 2019 and again in February.

“Education experts Dr Nic Spaull and DBE [department of basic education] researcher Dr Stephen Taylor maintain that not a single person has been referred for criminal prosecution, nor have any of the [ministerial task team]’s other corruption-related recommendations been implemented as of July 2022,” the report said.

“This stands in stark contrast to the minister’s claim in parliament in November 2016 that the recommendations have been institutionalised.” 

At the time the team’s report was completed, Motshekga said it confirmed there was “corruption and undue influence in the appointment of teachers and school principals”.

She said the report had identified weaknesses in the system and that there was a need to review both the authority of the state and the powers of “certain stakeholders” in the appointment process.

The report indicated the government’s ability to deliver on education was being undermined by “allowing unions to have a stranglehold on government whereby they call the shots”, Motshekga said at the time.

“This situation cannot be allowed to persist and I must say that there will be consequences. The police will be contacted and arrests could follow in regard to particular cases where strong evidence exists pointing to illegal activities,” she said.

Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona referred the M&G to the national department for comment.

Motshekga’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga had not responded to written questions and calls from the M&G at the time of writing.

Basic education portfolio committee secretary Llewellyn Brown confirmed the committee had interacted with Sebele about his security concerns. 

“My understanding is the matter was receiving the necessary attention. He is further welcome to engage with the department of basic education on the directive,” Brown said.