Durban - Individual union leaders might not be off the hook as the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) had recommended that police further investigate some cases of wrongdoing in the cash for jobs scandal.
In its report into the investigation of the scandal, released by the Department of Basic Education last week, the MTT said although the unions were exonerated of wrongdoing in the selling of posts, individual leaders could still face criminal investigation.
The probe into the scandal, headed by Professor John Volmink, was prompted by allegations two years ago that union leaders – particularly of Sadtu – were selling posts for up to R30 000.
The report said it appeared the wrongdoing was well known at schools and in communities, and there was a culture of silence, fear and normalised malpractice in society.
There were widespread irregularities in the appointment of teachers, and confrontational relations between labour and the department of education, the inquiry found.
These findings were, however denied by the National Teacher Union (Natu) – which – according to the report – refused to take part.
The union said the report did not adequately invite teachers and the public to come forward and testify in the MTT.
Natu said it was of grave concern that the department was found to not have control of education.
“Where authority is weak, inefficient and dilatory, teacher unions move into the available spaces and determine policies, priorities and appointments, achieving undue influence over matters which should be the responsibility of the department,” the report read.
“Weak authorities, aggressive unions, compliant principals and teachers eager to benefit from union membership and advancement are a combination of factors that defeat the achievement of quality education by attacking the values of professionalism.”
In KZN, 19 cases were investigated and only four were found to have involved wrongdoing, while eight more were being investigated further.
There was a total of 16 cases in the country where wrongdoing was found, and there were 22 more cases that were being investigated further.
The Volmink report has also cast into the spotlight the dual roles of union leaders, who also double up as teachers, and sometimes principals as well.
The MTT submitted 12 recommendations to the minister; those who were found to be involved in buying and selling of posts be reported to the police; that officials who did not report corruption face disciplinary action; that whistle-blowers be protected, and for the department to regain control of education, and for clear distinction to be made between departmental role and union functions.
The MTT also recommended that the interviewing process for department positions be conducted by the department, that the observer status of unions at recruitment be reviewed, and to bar principals from leading unions.
A recommendation was made for immediate ceasing of cadre deployments and a distinct union for teachers to be formed.
All unions were opposed to the stripping of powers of the School Governing Body (SGB), but instead called for adequate training and capacitating of parents in these.
Responding to allegations of the selling of posts during the MTT process, the various unions all condemned the selling of posts and rejected stripping of powers of the SGBs. They called for adequate training of SGB members.
Tim Gordon, chief executive of the Governing Body Foundation, said they were not supportive of the recommendation to strip SGBs of their powers, and said the department could not be trusted with that function.
Nomarashiya Caluza, Sadtu KZN secretary, said they were happy the union had been absolved of wrongdoing and said they had always maintained that it was individual persons acting on their own.