WE RECEIVED support for the proposal of the Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Siviwe Gwarube, to investigate the lives of officers and employees of the Department. Ms Gwarube invited the corruption investigation unit, theSpecial Investigating Unit (SIU), to conduct this investigation in his Department.
He said this after he was accused of putting a duck’s foot and intervened in the recruitment process for the ministry’s national spokesperson, following the departure of the former spokesperson, Mr. Elijah Mhlanga. It is said that Ms. Gwarube has someone she wanted to replace her, which she rejected.
The Chairman of the committee of the Department of Public Works and Administration in Parliament, Mr Mr Jan de Villiers, said he supports Ms Gwarube’s opinion, that the health of the Ministry’s employees should be investigated.
He said that the nest of corruption in the Department must be dismantled, and that the SIU must conduct this investigation.
“We want the investigation to focus on the employees in important organizations. This is where the corruption took place.”
He said they want an investigation into the employment of employees in the Ministry for corruption.
“Government resources must go to students, and to those who need them, not to certain pockets. Students are the ones who bear the brunt if they don’t get their rights.”
He said they are willing to work with the SIU in investigating the lives of workers in the Department.
“We want once those who commit corruption are caught, they should be exposed. We want disciplinary measures to be taken. We want those who commit this corruption to be arrested.”
He said they support all efforts to strengthen the government’s work by fighting corruption for the benefit of the people of this country. The teachers’ union, Sadtu, has warned Ms Gwarube not to threaten the workers by saying that she wants the SIU to investigate the lives they lead while they are working and earning. He warned that he should stop putting a duck’s foot in the process of hiring employees and officials in the Ministry because there are rules to be followed.