An internal tribunal has found two education officials guilty of inflating the 1998 matric results by over 20%
THE investigation into the massive irregularities of the Mpumalanga 1998 matric results are finally bearing fruit.
Two provincial Department of Education officials, Kate Mokoene and Gogo Ndlovana, finally attended an internal tribunal into their alleged involvement in inflating the results by over 20%. They have been found guilty as charged.
Department representative Peter Maminza said ”We have not been satisfied with the pace of the investigation. There were numerous postponements on technical grounds and because so many witnesses had to be cross-examined.”
Mokoene and Ndlovana had been suspended with full pay. They are just two of the estimated 106 Mpumalanga government officials who have been accused of corruption, but continue to receive their salaries while they stay home. It is estimated that this is costing the provincial administration a total of over R1-million a month.
Mokoene and Ndlovana’s future remains unclear. The process that now has to be followed is a formal report has to be sent to the Head of Department within seven days. The appropriate sentence – whether a reprimand or dismissal – will then be passed.
Meantime, a further four education department officials have been charged with 300 counts of fraud. This follows intensive forensic testing of the matric exam scripts that were allegedly tampered with. The four’s handwriting samples allegedly matched those on the scripts.
The four have been released on bail of R1 500 each. Maminza says the education department is studying the charges before they decide on the course of action to pursue.
Maminza added that further arrests in connection with the matric irregularities are immanent.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, March 29, 2000.
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