A local newspaper, Vaal Ster, reported last week “Job seekers defrauded by SDM employee.” The
administrative official working at a municipality’s corporate services was
nabbed by the police for fleecing job-seekers of their money.
According to the story, the suspect masqueraded as an HR Manager. She solicited R1 000 deposit from each applicant to place them “on top of the list.” The understanding between her and the non-suspecting applicants was that they will have to pay her another R5 000 after they were employed.
Sometime in May this year a story broke out. A well known teachers union was alleged to be involved in a scandal of selling school principal jobs. According to the story, “school principals were placed in posts in return for R30 000 bribe upwards per post.”
Other sources from within the union and department of education revealed that entry level jobs were being sold upwards of R6 500 by principals to make back the money they paid for their own posts. Deputy Principal and HOD posts were being sold for R15 000 and R10 000 respectively’ revealed the source.
Other scams which were revealed included lateral appointments within and between provinces for upwards of R10 000. As for the teachers who were opting for early retirement, they could get their teaching job back within a year of leaving by paying upwards of R30 000.
According to the story, the suspect masqueraded as an HR Manager. She solicited R1 000 deposit from each applicant to place them “on top of the list.” The understanding between her and the non-suspecting applicants was that they will have to pay her another R5 000 after they were employed.
Sometime in May this year a story broke out. A well known teachers union was alleged to be involved in a scandal of selling school principal jobs. According to the story, “school principals were placed in posts in return for R30 000 bribe upwards per post.”
Other sources from within the union and department of education revealed that entry level jobs were being sold upwards of R6 500 by principals to make back the money they paid for their own posts. Deputy Principal and HOD posts were being sold for R15 000 and R10 000 respectively’ revealed the source.
Other scams which were revealed included lateral appointments within and between provinces for upwards of R10 000. As for the teachers who were opting for early retirement, they could get their teaching job back within a year of leaving by paying upwards of R30 000.
What the two scenarios are revealing is that as the practice of taking advantage of job-seekers escalates, more people will believe that a job is for sale; and that this is normal.
A recruitment Agency invited me to interview in Randburg about 10 years ago. I had gone there with my colleague who was also a graduate. Instead of us being interviewed, we were made to cough up R100 each in return for having our CVs re-written into a particularly uniform format. Everybody who went there to find a job came away with a CV that looked like everybody else’s, and a pocket which is minus R100. They promised us jobs, which we are still waiting for.
No job is for sale. If you are made to pay in order to get the job, then you are no longer applying for a job; you are buying one. What is worse is that the job you will be doing is not yours. It belongs to the one who orchestrates transactions. It is like having two bosses - the one you are reporting to, and the one who you are paying.
You do not have to look any further than the alleged scam happening in our education system. Suddenly a teacher who got promoted is being looked at with suspicion. Did he/ she get this on merit or… you know? When a teaching relative or neighbor is telling you about their transfer, you begin to flinch and “pray to God.”
If the allegations of scam are true, therefore a teacher who – out of nowhere - bought a huge car, or the one who settled their bond, or the one who bought very nice furniture or the one who did grand house renovations is being looked at with suspicion. And you know that, should they feel the need to return to teaching, they are at the mercy of those running the scam.
I often receive messages from young people who are being asked to pay some money in order to secure employment. I often advise them to go for one of the two options: 1. Report this to the police. 2. Run as fast as you can away from that swindler!
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