Jobs for Cash: Motshekga lacks political will to deal with SADTU

23 November 2016

Minister Motshekga showed today that she lacks the political will to tackle SADTU corruption and power abuse, as documented in the ‘Jobs for Cash’ report.

At the Portfolio Committee of Basic Education, the DA highlighted excerpts from the ‘Jobs for Cash’ report, which showed that the ANC’s alliance partner SADTU has captured the basic education system.

Despite clear evidence that SADTU is in control of 6 of the 9 provincial education departments, Minister Motshekga maintained that the ‘ Jobs for Cash’ report was not about SADTU.

Consequently, she offered no plan to deal with SADTU dominance and no view on the report’s recommendations to stop SADTU power abuse.

The ‘Jobs for Cash’ report is quite clear on the damaging role played by SADTU. For example:

- The Department of Basic Education has retained semblances of managerial and administrative control in three of South Africa’s nine Provinces. These are the Free State, the Western Cape and the Northern Cape. In all other Provinces, SADTU is in de facto control.” (p.119)

- “Where there is a balance of power between SADTU and other Unions, such as in the Western Cape, neither Union can behave as SADTU does in North West, Eastern Cape, KZN or Limpopo. So the Department of Education is effectively in control of education of one-third of South Africa’s provinces.” (p.18)

- “The roles that Unions play vary from Province to Province and from District to District. However, in most Districts SADTU is a potent and often decisive presence.” (p.26)

Minister Motshekga showed today that, when it comes to the crunch, she is willing to protect SADTU bosses at the expense of our nation’s children. This is a huge disappointment to those of us who held out the hope that she could rise above the internal politics of the tripartite alliance.

The independence of the forensic investigation into specific incidences of corruption was also called into question when it emerged that Deloitte’s contract to conduct the investigation had not been renewed. Instead, officials in the Department of Justice (DoJ) are now solely responsible for the forensic investigation.

This shift of the investigation from an independent company to a government department is another worrying sign that the political will to tackle corrupt SADTU members is rapidly diminishing.

It is telling that, of the 39 cases being investigated by the DoJ, no evidence of wrongdoing has been found. We will be following up on each of these cases to ensure that they were investigated without fear or favour.

The DA has asked Minister Motshekga to formally table the ‘Jobs for Cash’ report in Parliament. This will give the Portfolio Committee a chance to deliberate on the report and make recommendations to the National Assembly on the way forward.

If Minister Motshekga does not have the courage to stand up against SADTU dominance and power abuse, perhaps Parliament will instead.

Issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 23 November 2016