‘Sex-for-jobs’: DA asks Hawks to investigate claims of selling of teaching posts in KZN

‘Sex-for-jobs’: DA asks Hawks to investigate claims of selling of teaching posts in KZN

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal says it has referred unverified allegations of teaching-post selling and “sex-for-jobs” practices in KwaZulu-Natal to the Hawks after the provincial education department allegedly failed to answer its questions.

The party formally referred the allegations to the Hawks following the expiry of a seven-day deadline issued to the department after disturbing videos surfaced in July, DA KZN education spokesperson and MPL Sakhile Mngadi said.

Mngadi said the department had failed to provide a full account of its investigation into the allegations.

“There is no investigation report, no clear indication of who conducted the investigation, and no explanation of whether disciplinary or criminal referrals have followed,” he said.

The allegations have raised concerns about the integrity of teacher recruitment in the province, particularly among qualified young educators who are seeking employment in a highly competitive job market.

Mngadi said the allegations went beyond administrative failures and had potentially serious consequences for teachers who should be appointed on the basis of their qualifications and merit.

“Behind this scandal are real people: qualified young teachers who deserve to know that employment is based on merit, not money, connections or sexual exploitation,” he said.

“No teacher should ever have to pay with cash, or their body, to teach our children.”

He said they had asked the Hawks to independently determine whether criminal conduct, including corruption, fraud, abuse of office or an organised practice of selling teaching posts, may have occurred.

Mngadi also questioned the lack of publicly available information about an investigation reportedly ordered by KwaZulu-Natal Education Department head of department (HOD) Nkosinathi Ngcobo.

“HOD Ngcobo ordered the investigation. He must tell KZN’s people what became of it,” said Mngadi.

He also called on Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka to account for the department's handling of the matter.

“MEC Hlomuka is the political head and must explain why weeks of silence have been allowed to follow,” he said.