Millions looted from Gauteng schools, Maile sounds alarm
· Citizen
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has sounded the alarm over entrenched corruption in the province’s schools, warning that millions meant for classrooms, meals and textbooks have been siphoned off through fraud, mismanagement and theft.
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Briefing the media on Sunday, Maile said a comprehensive internal assessment commissioned by the department had uncovered 41 serious cases of corruption, financial mismanagement, maladministration and procurement irregularities between 2023 and June 2026.
Corruption
The findings, he stressed, show that corruption is not isolated but systemic.
“Corruption has not disappeared. It remains embedded in parts of the system. This is structural, not temporary,” he declared.
The report detailed inflated contracts, irregular procurement, duplicate quotations, unauthorised withdrawals and payments for goods never delivered.
Millions spent
In one case, more than R2.2 million was overspent at a single high school; in another, inflated payments exceeded market values by up to 500 percent.
“These figures represent classrooms not repaired, books not bought, meals not served and learners not supported,” Maile said.
He condemned officials and service providers who exploit schools for personal gain.
“Public office must never be used as a private business opportunity,” he warned, adding that corruption erodes trust and undermines democracy.
“When schools are looted, social progress is delayed. Schools are social anchors in poor communities when they are weakened, communities are weakened,” he said.
Scholar transport
The MEC identified venue bookings, scholar transport and undeclared donations as high‑risk areas. Schools often rent out halls and sports grounds, but income is not always declared.
“Donations from churches, NGOs and businesses are sometimes hidden, creating parallel financial streams.
“A school cannot have parallel economies. Every rand entering a school must be captured in receipts, recorded and audited,” he said.
Scholar transport contracts were singled out as particularly dangerous.
Service providers allegedly misrepresented fleet sizes, leaving children crammed into unsafe vehicles. “Routes become longer, learners arrive late, and drivers speed or work fatigued. This heightens the risk of accidents and fatalities,” Maile cautioned.
Accountability
To restore accountability, Maile announced sweeping interventions. Principals and School Governing Body members will be vetted through criminal record checks, financial background reviews and conflict‑of‑interest declarations.
“Scholar transport contracts will face stricter audits, with immediate termination for service providers found to have misrepresented vehicle numbers or overloaded learners. “The handling of school finances cannot be casual or weakly supervised,” he said.
He pledged closer cooperation with the Hawks, Saps, the Provincial Treasury and compliance units to ensure cases are referred for criminal investigation.
“Government departments must investigate corruption by following a strict multi‑agency, transparent framework. We will not conceal or arbitrarily handle allegations,” Maile said.
Picture: Gauteng Education DepartmentCommunity action
The MEC also urged communities to play a role in protecting schools.
“Education is a public good. Parents, teachers, learners, churches, civic organisations, unions, business and government must unite to protect it,” he said, highlighting the department’s “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” initiative as a vehicle for social accountability.
Maile’s message was uncompromising: “Corruption in schools is not just a financial crime but an ethical failure. “If society tolerates corruption, schools will absorb it. If a society normalises lawlessness, schools will reflect it,” he said.