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The SA Council for Educators (Sace) is embroiled in yet another job-for-pals scandal.
Controversy surrounds the appointment of a senior SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) member as corporate services manager at the country’s regulatory body for teachers.
Raphasha declined to comment on specific questions on Wednesday last week, instead referring questions to Sace spokesperson Themba Ndlovu.
In a statement, the organisation did not respond to specific questions relating to Raphasha’s appointment and deployment allegations.
“Please be informed that Sace cannot comment on the issues raised. We will be having our council meeting and it will be followed by the press briefing, which will clarify all matters that the media may have. You will be informed of such a date of the briefing,” Sace stated in the response.
City Press has learnt that Raphasha was appointed to the post despite not meeting key requirements, which include an appropriate degree or equivalent, at least five years’ experience in human resource (HR) management and administrative or management experience, among other qualifications.
In his CV and application letter seen by City Press, no details were shared about his experience in HR or related fields, only his national diploma in human resource management – which he erroneously stated he obtained from the University of Pretoria, but in fact the copy he attached stated that he graduated at Unisa – a nonformal labour law qualification and a few teaching qualifications.
Raphasha then boasted in his CV to be the provincial secretary “from 2010 to date”, a position he stated was “equivalent to [chief executive] at provincial level”.
One of the candidates, whose name is known to City Press, who applied for the post had an honours degree in industrial and organisational psychology majoring in HR management, a Bachelor of Administration degree, a postgraduate diploma in labour relations and had worked as a strategic HR planner at the department of social development since 2014.
In addition this candidate has held previous jobs, among them strategic HR planning and employment equity at the department of tourism, senior HR practitioner at the office of the Public Service Commission and HR officer at Medupi Power Station.
Sources close to Sace told City Press that Raphasha was deployed at Sace because his comrades could not find a senior position for him in Limpopo.
They said Sace initially advertised the post around June last year, but for no reason readvertised it in September.
Copies of adverts seen by City Press show that Sace initially offered an annual total package of R715 346 in the first advert, but later changed this annual total package to R761 747.
Matome Raphasha was employed at the council in September last year amid an alleged nepotism investigation conducted by the office of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane relating to allegations of nepotism at Sace.
At the time of his appointment, Raphasha was Sadtu’s secretary in Limpopo.
Mkhwebane’s investigation at Sace is nearing completion as notices of representation are set to be issued to implicated individuals to respond to her potential adverse findings.
Raphasha’s appointment does not fall within Mkhwebane’s investigation because he was appointed last year, while questions relating to the nepotism investigation were sent by Mkhwebane’s investigators to the council a year earlier.
