Former teachers report cases of nepotism and bribery in the education sector

She was then invited to meet with someone from the senior department. During this meeting, she was told to leave her bag and mobile phone in the car and 'take a walk.' At that moment, the person informed her that the position would be hers, but she would have to pay 90,000 rand. She was shocked and refused, as she did not intend to lose her pension savings due to corruption.

Problems with career advancement

The woman noted that she wondered why she needed to pay for a position that should belong to her by right, given her many years of service at the school and nearly forty years of teaching experience. However, according to her, the position was filled by someone who had only worked there for about ten years because he paid for it. Soon after, she retired because she did not want to report to anyone junior to her who did not possess the same knowledge or experience as her.

She said that the selling of positions is an old problem prevalent in Chatsworth and is not a secret in schools. Nevertheless, the Department of Education requires proof before taking any action. She added that no one dares to speak about it due to fear of consequences and threats to life.

She mentioned hearing about people buying promotions from principals up to department heads, and also that temporary teachers pay 20,000 rand to secure a permanent position.

Proposals to combat corruption

The woman advised the KZN Department of Education to conduct lifestyle audits of employees. She believes that it is necessary to check how a person earning likely no more than 20,000 rand per month can afford expensive cars and luxurious homes. Furthermore, she insists on creating a safe mechanism for reporting such actions without fear.

Nepotism in other areas

A former school principal in Phoenix also stated that besides the selling of positions, nepotism is widespread. He spoke of situations where people advanced in their careers due to connections. In one case, a teacher with little experience was appointed to a high position in the district office, bypassing the step of deputy principal or principal, which is usually the next step.

He is also aware of meetings where decisions are made about who will get a certain position, and he was personally told that he participated in the discussion when applying for his position. He emphasized that this is not a new problem, but a phenomenon that has been occurring for over twenty years, and he is glad that attention is now being paid to this issue.