Axed teacher draws salary for two years

Generic pic of blackboard and chalk

Generic pic of blackboard and chalk

Published Sep 3, 2015

Share

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal education portfolio committee chairwoman has blasted the department for failing to sack a teacher found guilty of forgery two years ago.

 This follows a disclosure that Phoenix teacher, Teresa Naicker, has been drawing a salary in spite of having been dismissed after a disciplinary committee in 2013 found her guilty.

She has since appealed against the judgment, and the appeal has yet to be heard.

Education portfolio committee chairwoman, Linda Hlongwane-Madlala, said she was disappointed by the department’s lack of urgency in dealing with issues especially those that brought the “department’s name into disrepute”.

“I’m aware of the Naicker issue and the committee had directed it to the HOD. I’m disappointed and I don’t think the department has in its employ committed people in management positions capable of ensuring the mandate is served. I don’t think the HOD himself commands authority. It seems like everybody does as they wish and there’s no accountability,” Hlongwane-Madlala said.

 

“Unfortunately ours as the committee is to make recommendations. But we can still hold the MEC accountable if progress is not made on recommendations. We will raise the Naicker issue on Friday,” she said.

Vikizitha Mlotshwa, an NFP MPL and education portfolio committee member, said the department had a huge backlog of appeal cases.

“Although I don’t have the exact figure, some of these cases are not investigated. You just see an accused brought back to work after being suspended for months on full pay. On Sunday we are meeting parents in Tongaat on an issue involving a principal suspended some time last year on allegations of financial mismanagement. There was no investigation and the principal was brought to work in July,” he said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DA’s George Mari said Naicker amassed “an astounding” 1 522 days of sick leave over 15 years before she was caught out. She was found guilty of forging a doctor’s signature and failing to submit leave forms, he said.

 

“The department failed to follow the appeal within the prescribed 90 days due to a backlog of appeal cases, and she is still drawing a salary, while the department is also paying a substitute teacher.

“She will owe the department R519 420 in the event her appeal fails,” Mari said.

 

Education MEC, Peggy Nkonyeni, and her HOD, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, could not be reached for comment.

Daily News

Related Topics: