Sale of post: KZN teacher charged

The South African Council of Educators (Sace) has charged a provincial leader of teachers’ union Sadtu with 13 counts of misconduct over her alleged role in the sale of a teaching post to a Durban educator, who later blew the whistle on her.

Sace spokesperson Themba Ndhlovu confirmed that the council, the regulatory body for the teaching profession, had instituted charges against Thembekile Makhanya.

Makhanya is the coordinator for sports and recreation on Sadtu’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive and a council member of the Coastal KZN TVET College.

Last year, teacher Nkonzo Mqadi claimed he had paid Makhanya, then a head of department at the Sophie Pewa Primary School at Folweni, R1 000 a month for 12 months after she had requested payment in return for facilitating his transfer from another school.

Mqadi claimed Makhanya sent a pupil to his classroom every payday to collect R1 000 in cash hidden in a copy of the Isolezwe newspaper.

Makhanya, who has been suspended by Sadtu, did not appear at last week’s hearing, at which Mqadi was to testify. Instead, she sent her legal representative with a sick note and a request for a postponement.

The hearing will now take place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Ndhlovu declined to provide details of the charges against Makhanya, who has not yet been suspended by the education department despite the allegations of corruption and misconduct against her.

“We will not comment further as the inquiry is a confidential one and is still ongoing,” he said.

Makhanya did not respond to calls from City Press this week. However, when the matter surfaced last year, she described Mqadi’s claims as part of a “conspiracy” against her, stemming from tensions within the union.

Meanwhile, Mqadi, who has still not been reinstated by the education department payroll, has been called to give evidence against Makhanya on Tuesday.

Mqadi laid a complaint against Makhanya, and a criminal charge, last year after coming out about corruption in the department and her role in allegedly coercing him into paying a bribe for the transfer.

The acting principal of Sophie Pewa Primary School, Nkosinathi Mbhense, made an affidavit claiming that he was intimidated into signing a fraudulent letter dismissing Mqadi.

He has been called to give evidence next week.