Basic Education Minister to release report as scheduled
28 March 2016
The Minister of Basic Education will release the report into the "jobs for sale" investigation as scheduled on April 15 once all processes have been completed.
The Minister has noted statements from the South African Democratic Teachers' Union and the concerns they have raised. The Minister will not engage any stakeholders via the media but will instead address all issues at the scheduled meeting planned for April 14.
The Minister appointed a Task Team after reports surfaced that certain posts for teachers were sold for cash. The Task Team has handed in a draft final report which the Minister has received.
The Minister has expressed her disappointment at the repeated misleading statements made by the Democratic Alliance on this matter. "We wish to remind the DA that the investigation has got to do with people's lives and some of whom have already been lost. Key to the investigation was the protection of witnesses and whistle-blowers hence the involvement of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and a forensic team of investigators," said Elijah Mhlanga, spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education.
The DA should refrain from using the investigation for political point scoring because the matter is sensitive and people's lives remain under threat. It is for that reason that proper preparations must be made before the report can be made public.
The Minister will meet stakeholders to discuss the report at meetings that have been scheduled as follows:
1. Meeting with Cabinet Committee - 5 April
2. Cabinet sitting - 13 April
3. Meeting with Teachers Unions - 14 April
4. Meeting SGB associations - 15 April
5. Release of Report (upload on website) - 15 April
6. Implementation of recommendations
The Minister remains committed to making the report public as she said at the time of setting up the investigation.
Statement issued by Elijah Mhlanga and Troy Martens, Department of Basic Education, 28 March 2016
