Question NW826 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

a) How many volunteers have been investigated for fraud to date?

The Department has been investigating alleged cases of fraud that were reported.

90 volunteers were allegedly involved in fraud and corruption. All reported cases of fraud have been dealt with decisively.

The Department continuously updates its internal controls which assists in strengthening the validation processes and financial management of the campaign.

(b) Was any volunteer found guilty?

Yes, 90 volunteers were found guilty through the Departmental internal processes.

(c) What amount of money was involved?

90 volunteers were identified to have been paid an amount of R282 297.22 without any learners.

(d) Will the volunteer be criminally charged, and

The identified volunteers were removed from the Campaign and the monies deducted.

(e) What steps have been taken to recover the amount in each case?

The Department has recovered R 281 838.53 (99.84%) to date.

To recover monies, the Department deducted the funds owed from the stipend payments due to volunteers. The Department employs volunteers in a hierarchical structure, which are; Monitors, Coordinators, Supervisors and Volunteer Educators.

Detailed Steps:

Deceased Learners registered in the Campaign

Step 1: Once the deceased learners have been identified by the Department of Home Affairs, the volunteers who submitted list of deceased learners are identified.

Step 2: The actual stipend is determined as per the sliding scale.

Step 3: The determined amount of stipend related to the fraudulent transactions is then deducted.

Step 4: The identified volunteers are removed from the Campaign.