Basic education DG acquitted

090510 Bobby Soobrayan, national director-general of basic education, has commended KwaZulu-Natal s Department of Education for showing a significant increase in last year s pass rate.

090510 Bobby Soobrayan, national director-general of basic education, has commended KwaZulu-Natal s Department of Education for showing a significant increase in last year s pass rate.

Published Feb 18, 2014

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Johannesburg - Basic education director general Bobby Soobrayan has been found not guilty of wrongdoing, department spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said on Tuesday.

“The director general was acquitted and found not guilty on both charges.”

The charges were that he misused funds and signed an agreement on the department's behalf without having the authority to do so.

The disciplinary hearing was held in December and was chaired by Judge Willem van der Merwe.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga was notified of the judgment on December 18.

Soobrayan was accused of signing a collective agreement on behalf of the department without a proper mandate, and misusing funds from the Education Labour Relations Council during April 2012.

Last year, the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) accused Soobrayan of violating the Public Finance Management Act.

It held a nation-wide protest demanding the resignations of both Soobrayan and Motshekga. Later the protest was suspended when Sadtu reached an agreement with the minister.

She promised the complaint against Soobrayan would be treated “as a matter of urgency”.

Lesufi said Soobrayan was on special leave during the disciplinary hearing.

“The process undertaken was a fair and proper process...” he said.

“The allegations against the director general emanated from Sadtu and they were properly consulted by the prosecutor and their attorneys (were) allowed to attend the disciplinary hearing.”

Lesufi said no complaint was received after the finalisation of the disciplinary hearing.

Sapa

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