Nearly half of the applications to vet teachers against the National Register of Sex Offenders are still pending, according to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
As of October 31, a total of 97,576 applications had been submitted since the process began in May 2022. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has issued vetting certificates for only 46,041 of these, representing about 47% of applications received.
Gwarube cited systemic capacity constraints and a complex, multi-stakeholder process as the main causes of the delays. The vetting chain involves public schools, provincial education departments, the South African Police Service, and the Department of Justice.
The minister’s written response to Parliament followed concerns raised about sexual abuse in schools and reports that more than 300,000 educators had not been vetted. She explained that provincial education departments are the legal employers of teachers and are responsible for initiating the vetting process.
Gwarube stated there is no definite timeline for completing all vetting due to the current bottlenecks but emphasized that her department remains committed to the process and will work with all stakeholders to address the constraints.