In the media

The South African government has identified 8,854 high-risk cases in its effort to eliminate ghost work in the public sector. In its process to verify all its employees, the highlighted cases were identified to show payment irregularities that need to be clarified in an outstanding audit. As part of the efforts to address this issue, the Education Labour Relations Council is undertaking physical verification of teachers and learners in order to identify possible ghost teachers and ensure spending efficiency.

The podcast highlights widespread corruption in South Africa’s education system, where the Education Labor Relations Council (ELRC) has launched an investigation into ghost teachers and the sale of teaching posts. Flawed hiring practices—especially the failure to advertise many entry-level positions—have enabled bribery and manipulation by principals and officials. This erodes trust, prevents qualified graduates from securing jobs, and wastes public resources. The ELRC, together with unions and the Department of Education, is developing measures to strengthen transparency and accountability.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Finance Minister has started a province-wide check to remove ghost workers from the Education Department. Nonexistent or former employees, including teachers who resigned, were dismissed, or died, are still receiving pay. This problem may be costing the department about 1 billion rand (approx. 57.31 million USD) every year, calling for urgent action.

Two teachers from Dlumana High School in Manyeleti, Mpumalanga, and Tuscany Glen High School in Cape Town were dismissed for their involvement in a matric exam cheating scandal. The Mpumalanga teacher posted answers to a life sciences paper on WhatsApp during the 2022 exams, while the Cape Town teacher forwarded exam questions to students via WhatsApp. This incident is part of a broader cheating scandal involving 935 pupils.

The Minister of Higher Education commissioned a report into the affairs of Unisa, Africa's biggest open distance learning institution. There have been claims of maladministration, as well as tender irregularities, allegedly involving the University's Vice Chancellor and principal. The report found that Unisa has been plagued by governance issues since 2016. It included the flouting of procurement processes, irregular appointment of staff members, as well as huge salary increases.

The Quality Council for General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) is concerned about the allegations of cheating involving candidates and teachers. According to the reports, the candidates in question paid teachers to have access to the answers posted on a WhatsApp group during toilet breaks while the examinations were in session. While an investigation is conducted by the Department of Basic Education, the CEO of Umalusi reassured the public that rigorous and robust quality assurance mechanisms will be used to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the National Senior Certificate.

Two teachers have been arrested after practicing at Seme Secondary school for eight and two years’ respectively. They got their jobs by using fake qualifications. It is said that the Mpumalanga Department of Education suffered a combined loss of more than R2.4m. The department apparently became suspicious about their qualifications in 2017 and asked them to resubmit their qualifications. The two will return to the Volkrust Regional Court on February 6.

In South Africa, an incident at a school in Soweto revived the debate over false teacher qualifications. This week, a former primary school teacher stabbed a director who had suspended him. The teacher was dismissed after the school discovered, following a complaint from parents, that he had lied about his qualifications and had no diploma. According to the South African Council of Educators, dozens or even hundreds of teachers lie about their qualifications.

The Eastern Cape Education Department has concluded its investigation into 'ghost pupils', but it still faces the 'ghost teachers' scandal. The wife of a former African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip faces 16 counts of fraud and 10 counts of money laundering after allegedly pocketing more than R1 million by processing several fake applications for Grade R teaching posts.

The basic education ministerial task team report into the “jobs for cash” scandal has found that corruption is endemic in the education system and the first step in stopping this is to end cadre deployment. The task team’s report, into allegations that some members of South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) have been selling posts for money, has also raised issues within the appointment process in the sector. As a result, the department says it will establish interviewing and appointment panels that would be vetted regularly, as well as reviewing the appointment system as a whole.