KZN teachers charged for fraud

Nineteen teachers in and around KwaZulu-Natal have been arrested by the Durban Commercial Crime Unit for fraud.

Following an initiative by the department of education in 2009, it was found that some teachers did not have matric certificates.

When these teachers applied for a position they produced fraudulent matric certificates.

Some even furthered their education at tertiary level using the same fraudulent matric certificates which resulted in the department increasing their salaries after they obtained their teaching diplomas.

Then there was others who had legitimate matric certificates but obtained fraudulent tertiary qualifications which also entitled them to an increase in salary.

Criminal cases were opened and handed over to the Durban Commercial Crime Unit for further investigation.

The members started with their investigation and travelled as far as KaNgwanase, Nongoma, Ngwavuma, Dumbe and Jozini where a total of nineteen teachers were arrested.

The suspects were charged for fraud with the collective estimated value of over R25 million.

Some of the arrested teachers had already been dismissed by the department and others were still teaching.

All the arrested teachers appeared at the Durban Commercial Crime Court and are out on bail.