POLOKWANE – Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Dr Naledzani Rasila says the department’s Risk and Security Directorate have been following allegations that there were scammers using lack of jobs as their strong point to defraud job seekers within the education department.
“Little did they know they will end up assisting police to arrest an employee who was caught selling government bursaries to learners,” he said.
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Rasila explains the arrest materialised when the Citizens Complains Unit of the Transformation Directorate of the Department was confronted by the parent of the learner victim.
“According to the information received, the parents were promised that the learner will get a bursary to study at an institutions of Higher Learning next year, but only if they pay R5000 to the culprit,” explains Rasila.
The matter was then reported to the Security and Risk Directorates in the Department where the parent and the learner were assisted to go through the process of opening a case with the Limpopo Hawks offices.
“With the expertise of the police and assistance of the officials of the department, police tracked down the employee and caught him taking the bribe of R5000 from the family. He was arrested on the spot and was released on R1000 bail by the Polokwane Magistrate court on Wednesday, 17 May.
Rasila says the suspect is facing suspension, internal discipline procedures and has been forbidden to enter his office at work.
Charges of misconduct have also been pressed on him by the department.
Rasila urged community members to bring these incident of fraud to the attention of the Department at all times.
“The Department will continue to deal harshly with acts of corruption and fraud, more especially by its own employees. The Department will continue to investigate other possible leads as provided by the community and those identified within the system,” Rasila concluded.
