A recent report by Corruption Watch has shined a light on corruption in the education sector in South Africa. Between 2012 and 2021, the organisation received more than 36,000 cases of corruption taking place at Primary and High Schools, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and Sector Education and Training Authority (SETAs).
The organisation took a sample size of 10% of all the corruption reports, between 2012 and 2021 and found that of the 3,667 reports, more than 93% of corruption cases were from primary and high schools.
The misappropriation of resources accounted for 43% of the majority of the corruption cases referred to the organisation. This includes reports of theft, embezzlement of funds and misuse of resources.
Maladministration (17.1%), abuse of authority (14.2%), procurement irregularities (12.1%) and employment irregularities (12.1%) were the other forms of corruption reported to the organisation.
The group said it was heartrending that individuals were brave enough to report these crimes but law enforcement and government are failing to act against those who commit these blatant acts of corruption.
Corruption Watch said, “These alleged acts of corruption span the length and breadth of the country. However, the hotspots, where corrupt activities are reported to occur most frequently, are Gauteng Province, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape.”
Melusi Ncala, a researcher at Corruption Watch says a lack of resources is used as a frequent excuse for not providing proper education. However, the limited resources that are available are being mismanaged.
Ncala added, “The authorities in this sector are simply paying lip service to the issue of graft and if anything can be gleaned from their rhetoric, it is their apathy and refusal to be accountable.”
They conclude that the department’s failure to act decisively demonstrates the need for strong and resounding action from the public.
