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“Mafia” Syndicates Exploiting Unemployed Teachers in South Africa

Published

2 weeks ago

August 21, 2025

Chiraag

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A disturbing new scandal has shaken South Africa’s education sector. Reports of teaching jobs being sold for as much as R25,000 have prompted an urgent nationwide investigation. At the heart of it are allegations that organised crime syndicates, described by officials as a “mafia” within government, are exploiting unemployed and newly qualified teachers desperate for work.

Extortion disguised as opportunity

The revelations came after the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration raised concerns about corrupt hiring practices in schools. Chairperson Jan de Villiers confirmed that the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) is conducting a full verification of teachers and learners, with findings expected by October 2025.

The scale of the problem is shocking. Teachers who have spent years studying, often relying on student loans and taxpayer-funded bursaries, are being asked to pay bribes simply to access jobs they are already qualified for. De Villiers described this as outright extortion, calling it “one of the most tragic and worst examples of wasted state expenditure.”

The “ghost employee” connection

This scandal does not exist in isolation. It has been linked to the broader and long-standing issue of “ghost employees,” individuals who exist only on the state payroll. In some cases, these fabricated posts are used as placeholders, later “sold” to real graduates through bribery.

According to De Villiers, creating ghost teaching posts typically requires collusion between at least three officials, though in reality many more are involved to keep the scheme alive. “This is not just petty corruption,” he explained, “but organised crime within the state itself.”

The result is devastating: not only is taxpayer money stolen, but South Africa’s children are deprived of real, qualified teachers in classrooms.

A wider pattern of waste

Ghost employees are not limited to education. Previous audits uncovered millions of rands wasted each month on salaries for workers who do not exist across municipalities, provincial departments, and national offices.

For De Villiers, this crisis underscores the need for sweeping reform. “To uplift society and help the poor and unemployed, we must identify where taxpayer money is wasted or stolen,” he told Newzroom Afrika.

He stressed that investigations should not stop at uncovering fake employees. Perpetrators must face prosecution, with referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). “When you are stealing from the state, you are not just corrupt,” he said. “You are stealing money meant to empower the disempowered.”

Not all public servants are corrupt

Despite the severity of the problem, De Villiers cautioned against painting all public servants with the same brush. The majority of teachers, doctors, police officers, and civil servants remain honest and hardworking. It is a small but highly organised network that has abused the system for nearly 30 years.

The way forward

Accountability, audits, and prosecution are critical, but De Villiers believes the long-term solution lies in a professional and merit-based public service. Without it, service delivery will continue to fail, and communities will pay the price.

“If we deal with this small group of organised criminals,” he concluded, “we can unlock enormous potential. Proper service delivery is the answer to many of the challenges we face as a country.”