An alleged corruption scheme involving overtime claims has rocked the Ministry of Education and Training, with 36 drivers hauled before a preliminary hearing, amid revelations that some of the money was allegedly returned in cash to senior officers.
The drivers were served with show cause letters after it emerged that they had been claiming overtime that was not authorised by the principal secretary, the controlling officer mandated to approve such payments within the ministry. Some of the drivers were alleged to have received overtime payments exceeding E600 000, while others reportedly pocketed a minimum of E120 000 each over the period under review. The ministry has further roped in the police’s fraud department in getting to the bottom of the matter.
Investigations by this publication reveal that the overtime claims, dating from 2021 to 2025, were largely linked to work purportedly done at the Ministry of Health by the Ministry of Education and Training drivers. However, neither the current Principal Secretary (PS) Naniki Mnisi nor her predecessor are said to have authorised the claims.
Sources allege that after receiving the payments, some drivers were instructed to return a portion of the money; either in cash or through third-party accounts, to two senior officers within the ministry.
“They would get paid for the overtime and then be told to send some of the money back. Some did it in cash, others used different accounts,” said a source familiar with the matter.
It was said that the concern was not just the unauthorised overtime, but the movement of money across ministries and how it was approved without the required signatures. It raises serious questions about internal controls.
Of the 36 drivers initially implicated, one has since passed on following a short illness, leaving 35 currently undergoing the preliminary hearing process.
The hearings are expected to establish what transpired, including how much each driver received, how much was allegedly returned and who authorised the payments. It also remains to be determined whether the drivers knowingly participated in the scheme or were acting under instruction.
At the centre of the probe are two senior officers who were also invited to appear before the preliminary hearing but reportedly failed to attend. One of the officers is said to have since been transferred to another department, though this does not preclude further legal action.
The preliminary hearing, conducted under General Order 940, serves as a fact-finding process to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted. The regulations stipulate that such proceedings should be concluded within six months.
Under normal procedure, overtime in government requires a formal request by the principal secretary to the Ministry of Public Service. Once approved in writing, the PS signs the necessary documentation alongside the employee doing the overtime. The documents are then forwarded to Treasury for processing and payment.
However, in this case, it is alleged that Mnisi did not sign any overtime approvals. Instead, payments were reportedly facilitated through journal vouchers (JVs), including one allegedly originating from the Ministry of Health. This has raised further questions, particularly as the PS in the Ministry of Health is also said to have had no knowledge of the transactions.
Auditor General (AG) queries are also understood to have flagged discrepancies in the overtime payments. The ministry reportedly responded by indicating that show cause letters had already been issued to the drivers.
It has also emerged that some drivers initially resisted responding to the show cause letters, demanding evidence from the PS. However, they were reportedly informed that the onus was on them to justify how they received the payments, including providing proof of approval, hours worked and authorising instruments.
Further irregularities include drivers operating outside their designated roles, with some heavy-duty drivers reportedly assigned to light duty vehicles and vice versa. Additionally, drivers are said to have used ministry vehicles to perform duties in other ministries without authorisation; an act that could have exposed them to risk, including lack of injury-on-duty cover had they had challenges while on the ground.
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Questions are also being raised about how funds were processed across three ministries without proper authorisation and whether officials in finance and administrative departments may have failed to flag irregular signatures.
Ministry of Education Principal Secretary Naniki Mnisi confirmed that she became aware of the irregularities in 2023 after noticing unexplained fluctuations in the ministry’s salary bill.
“I realised that our salary bill was fluctuating yet we had not recruited new staff.
“That is when I discovered that money was being taken through these overtime claims,” she said.
Mnisi said she initially engaged the drivers, but the practice continued, prompting her to investigate further through the human resource management system, including reviewing SC10 payslips.
“There has to be a formal request, approval in writing, and proper documentation. In this case, I did not sign any overtime approvals. I spoke to them about it, but they did not stop, they were five then.
“I then followed the system and the number ended up being 36 of them; that is when we moved to issue show cause letters,” she said.
She emphasised that no overtime is valid without her authorisation and the approval of the Ministry of Public Service.
Mnisi further revealed that some of the drivers later came forward to confess and she encouraged them to be truthful in their written submissions. She added that some of the drivers had proof of transactions and she advised them to attach such evidence to support their explanations.
Mnisi said the matter has since been escalated in line with procedure and that a report from the preliminary hearings would be submitted to the Civil Service Commission with recommendations, including possible disciplinary action, among other recommendations.
Mnisi further confirmed that the matter is being handled jointly with the Ministry of Health and the police fraud department as part of an ongoing fact-finding mission. Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that they were actively involved in the investigation of the matter.
