More Than 119,000 South African Teachers Remain Unvetted Three Years After Process Began
Provincial education departments report that more than 119,000 teachers across seven provinces have not been checked against the National Register for Sex Offenders. The vetting process started in 2023.
thesouthafrican.comMore than 119,000 teachers across seven provinces have not been checked against South Africa's National Register for Sex Offenders, three years after the government began mandatory vetting. Provincial education departments told Daily Maverick that administrative delays, backlogs and lengthy processing times have slowed implementation.
The departments also said thousands of teachers are still awaiting clearance certificates.
A year earlier, Daily Maverick reported that only 19 percent of the country's 405,738 public school teachers had received clearance certificates. At that time, just over 78,000 teachers had been vetted, leaving 81 percent unchecked. Provincial departments confirmed that cases involving sexual misconduct identified through investigations were referred to labour relations processes and, where necessary, to the South African Police Service.
The National Register for Sex Offenders was established in 2009 and is maintained by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. It contains records of individuals convicted and sentenced for sexual offences.
