Jobs-For-Cash report *FINALLY* released

The Ministerial Task Team Report into the sale of posts – colloquially referred to as the Jobs-for-Cash report has finally be released by the DBE. Full report HERE. The report is far-reaching, frank and damning. We all owe a huge thanks to Professor Volmink and his team for their investigation and this much needed report. When corruption is so systemic, as it is in SA education, to write a report like this without fear or favour is the mark of a deep conviction that something has to change.

I have taken out a few excerpts for those who don’t have time to read the whole (285-page report:

• “All the Deputy Directors-General in the Department of Basic Education are SADTU members and attend meetings of that Union. (p93)
• “The Gauteng MEC said that “the major Union is in charge of education” in his Province” (p.81)
• HOD North West – “He said that his Department has so many cases of wrongdoing that if he asked the SAPS to follow them up, it would amount to closing down the Department. ” (p87)
• “Of the 81 cases that were investigated, 38 cases provided grounds for either reasonable suspicion requiring further investigation or point directly to wrongdoing amounting to criminal conduct. (Reasonable suspicion exists when there are objective grounds or empirical facts that form the basis for the suspicion as opposed to mere conjecture.) “ (p18)
• North West – “When the claims were made in the City Press in April 2014, the NWDOE appointed a forensic company to investigate the claim that SADTU had influenced the appointment of senior officials in the provincial department. The report, dated 15 August 2011, was made available to the MTT. Further investigation by the MTT indicates that in 9 cases investigated by the forensic investigative company, there was no evidence to support the allegations in 2 cases. However in 6 cases SADTU officials or representatives exerted improper influence; however is no evidence of money being involved. In one case, a senior district official acted improperly in support of the promotion of a friend. In none of the cases was action taken in respect of the findings.“ (p20)
• Gauteng – “Following claims made in City Press in May 2014, The GDE acted promptly and appointed a firm of attorneys to investigate the claims of improper influence at school level. The detailed report included information from both written and verbal statements and concluded, inter alia, that posts are being sold for cash, that the parties operate in networks, and that there is a climate of fear that keeps people from exposing these practices. The GDE then moved to take disciplinary action, but the majority of witnesses did not wish to give signed statements.This outcome is unacceptable as in this case there is evidence that a network exists that is selling posts for cash. Steps need to be taken to support the individuals who were willing to take the risk of speaking. This requires further investigation by a competent authority. It is not acceptable that a teacher who is courageous enough to report alleged corrupt acts was told must be told to go to her local police station. This cannot be acceptable. In several cases where teachers and other informants have acted with enormous courage to report gross abuse no action has been taken.” (p20)
• “RECOMMENDATION 4: That the Department of Basic Education regain control of administering the education system in all Provinces so that clear distinctions are established between the roles and functions of the DBE and the concerns of Teacher Unions.” (p21)
• “The deployment of officials to the Department from Unions weakens the Department because those so deployed often struggle to demonstrate that they are able to balance the complexity of competing loyalties and demands.” (p25)
• “RECOMMENDATION 10: That both school- and office-based educators cease to be office- bearers of political parties and that educators in management posts (including school principals) be prohibited from occupying leadership positions in Teacher unions.” (p25)
• “If ‘undue influence’ (a polite name for corruption) is a result of cadre deployment, then cadre deployment is likely to lead to corruption. It is the impression of the Task Team that such corruption is endemic to greater and lesser degrees in the entire education system and that as a first move to cleanse the system, cadre deployment should not be permitted.” (p25)
• “RECOMMENDATION 15: That the South African Council of Educators (SACE) be reconceptualised and freed from Union and political domination.” (p28)
• “All the Deputy Directors-General in the Department of Basic Education are SADTU members and attend meetings of that Union. That being the case, it is not improbable to say that schooling throughout South Africa is run by SADTU. The significance of cadre deployment in South Africa’s education system is discussed below in Chapter Four.” (p93)
• “Early in May, the North West’s Deputy HOD was held hostage overnight by SADTU officials over the unresolved matter of temporary teachers.” (p.82)

Some media reports are starting to emerge in Times Live and Citizen but it will be interesting once the journalists and commentators get their teeth into the detailed report.