Release of the Ministerial Task Team report postponed
The Minister of Basic Education had decided to release the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) on the "post for sale" investigation on 15 April 2016, after consulting teacher unions and school governing body associations a day earlier.
However, the Minister received requests and representations to delay the release of the MTT final report to allow teacher unions and individuals implicated in the report to rebut and/or make formal representations to the MTT. The Minister sought legal opinion in the matter, and was advised that the importance of the work done by the MTT cannot be compromised because of perceived and/or inadequate consultations and/or interactions on the MTT final report.
Taking the request, representations and legal advice into account, the Minister has declared the following timeframes, which must be followed by all concerned:
1-15 April 2016: the Minister has favoured teacher unions with the MTT final report, with an advice for teacher unions to submit their written rebuttals / inputs to the Chairperson of the MTT on but not later than the end of business on 15 April 2016.
Teacher unions were requested to favour the Chairperson of the MTT with the details of any teacher union member, who might be implicated in the MTT report but may have inadvertently been deprived of the benefits of the audi alterem partem rule. This must be done on or not later than 15 April 2016.
15-29 April 2016: the MTT will consider the written submissions and consider any appropriate action when a need arises. Any teacher union, and/or school governing body association, and/or individual wishing to make representations viva voce to the MTT, must have done so by midday, 29 April 2016.
29 April - 4 May 2016: the MTT will consider all inputs - written submissions and viva voce representations. In doing so, all imperatives related to administrative justice and principles of fairness will be observed.
4-5 May 2016: the MTT will submit the final report, after taking into consideration the written inputs and representations from teacher unions, school governing body associations, and individuals, to the Minister on 04 May 2016. The Minister may convene a consultative meeting with teacher unions and national school governing body associations to reflect on the MTT processes and the resubmitted report.
6 May 2016: the Minister will officially release the MTT report to the public.
The Minister urges all those who may have a vested interest in the work and the report of the Ministerial Task Team, which was appointed to investigate allegations on jobs for sale, to take the opportunity availed to them to further engage on the MTT processes, especially those which will lead to the finalisation of the MTT report.
Enquiries:
Elijah Mhlanga
Cell: 083 580 8275
Troy Martens
Cell: 079 899 3070
