20 August 2025 | 12:30 CAT
2-minute read

The South African education system is once again under the microscope, as allegations of widespread corruption in the hiring of teachers threaten to undermine the very foundation of fairness in public schools.

The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) has been tasked with conducting a sweeping investigation into the alleged buying and selling of teacher posts — a practice that, if proven true, raises serious questions about merit, justice, and the integrity of the system. The probe will cover all 22 000 public schools, digging not only into bribery for posts but also into the shadowy phenomenon of “ghost teachers,” where salaries are reportedly paid to non-existent staff.

Professor Nadine Petersen, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg, says the allegations are not abstract rumours but lived experiences for young graduates.

“We are hearing from our recent graduates, and I’m talking in the last four years from about 2020, that a number of them are being approached to allegedly by either district officials in provinces, but also some are telling us by administrators and people at schools… that they can be guaranteed a job if they pay a certain amount.”

The claims suggest a sophisticated scam that preys on the desperation of unemployed graduates. Petersen explained that initial bribes do not always secure a position, with young teachers being asked for escalating amounts of money to guarantee placement. In some cases, candidates part with their savings, only to discover they have been duped.

What makes the situation more troubling is that these suspicions are not new. A 2014 report had already raised red flags about the manipulation of teacher appointments, but little appears to have changed since.

“It really takes political will to get down to the bottom of this and to root out these practices,” Petersen noted, pointing out that nearly a decade later, convictions remain elusive.

The ethical dilemma is stark: should those who bought posts be removed, or should they be allowed to stay given their desperation? For Petersen, the answer must be clear.

“If we really want to do the right thing, then we may not have given people who have the right qualification or maybe the right expertise a job. And are they not doing a disservice to our children? So we either got to draw a line in the sand and say, these are unacceptable practices and under no circumstances should they be allowed.”

The human cost of this corruption extends beyond the teachers. Every compromised appointment risks placing underqualified individuals in classrooms, directly affecting the quality of education that learners receive. With South Africa already struggling with literacy and numeracy challenges, the stakes could not be higher.

In the meantime, universities like Petersen’s are warning graduates to be cautious.

“They contact the referees on students’ CVs, and it makes it seem like a legitimate process until they start demanding money,” she explained.

Yet warnings alone cannot fix a systemic issue. Ultimately, the investigation will test whether the country is willing to confront entrenched corruption in education — a corruption that exploits youth unemployment, erodes public trust, and endangers the futures of hundreds of children.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.