By Alicia Mmashakana
A Ventersdorp principal and a circuit manager in the North West this week appeared in the Ventersdorp Magistrate facing charges of corruption after they were nabbed for selling teachers posts.
Principal Lydia Masiu and co-accused circuit manager Petrus Mokobe were arrested by the Hawsk serious corruption investigating unit in Klerksdorp and Ventersdorp following allegations that they were selling teachers posts for R15 000 each.
The two were granted bail of R8 000 each and their case postponed to September 6 2024 for further investigation. They were facing five accounts of corruption.
Hawks spokesperson in the North West, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said the pair were arrested on Monday following an investigation into the allegations.
According to Paul Esterhuizen, CEO of education rewards company School-Days, teachers were in the firing line of budget cuts in basic education.
“Given the large class sizes in most public schools, we cannot afford to expand these classes further because we do not have the funds to hire more teachers.
“The unfortunate reality is the problems in our education system are not due to a lack of resources but rather the mismanagement of those resources that means we are not getting bang for our educational budget,” Esterhuizen said.
Three months ago, then minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga, confirmed that teacher vacancies in South Africa have skyrocketed to 31,000, triggering a huge problem.
INSIDE EDUCATION
