Education
Projects related to related to gross corruption, maladministration and wasteful expenditure within the Department of Basic and Higher Education.
Our Education Portfolio contains several projects related to gross corruption, maladministration and wasteful expenditure within the Department of Basic and Higher Education.
This portfolio focuses on projects that affect marginalized people, particularly those who are vulnerable and dis-empowered. This includes rural underprivileged communities, unemployed unskilled youth and under resourced national education facilities.
In this portfolio we have undertaken the following projects:
Investigating corruption in the Services SETA
Since 2018, OUTA has been investigating corruption and mismanagement in the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), particularly in the Services SETA.
Investigating how NSFAS spends student funds
OUTA's investigation into the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was sparked off in 2022 by our investigation into irregularities at the Services, when we found that Services SETA contractors were linked to other tenders among the SETAs and NSFAS. In February 2023, we published a preliminary report on three NSFAS tenders.
Investigating an R83m contract at Gert Sibande TVET college
In 2022, whistleblowers approached OUTA with allegations of mismanagement of funds at Gert Sibande TVET College, in connection with a contract worth R83.114 million which the college awarded to Student Hub Online (Pty) Ltd for the provision of an e-learning platform. OUTA investigated, found irregularities in the awarding of the contract and, in December 2023, handed our report to the Special Investigating Unit.