SEXUAL OFFENDERS: Vetting crisis: Efforts hampered by persistent delays with more than 100,000 teachers unchecked

Three years after the government began mandatory vetting of teachers against the National Register for Sex Offenders, more than 119,000 educators across several provinces remain unchecked, raising serious concerns about learner safety and the pace of implementation.

More than 119,000 teachers across seven provinces have yet to be vetted against South Africa’s National Register for Sex Offenders, despite the process having started in 2023 as part of efforts to protect children in schools. Figures obtained by Daily Maverick from provincial education departments reveal that progress in vetting educators remains uneven, with administrative delays, backlogs and lengthy processing times slowing implementation.

The findings come a year after Daily Maverick reported that only 19% of SA’s public school teachers had been vetted against the National Register for Sex Offenders. At the time, just over 78,000 of the country’s 405,738 teachers had received clearance certificates, leaving 81% unchecked.

Provincial education departments told Daily Maverick that thousands of teachers were still awaiting clearance certificates. They also confirmed that cases involving sexual misconduct identified through investigations were referred to labour relations processes and, where necessary, the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The National Register for Sex Offenders, established in 2009 and maintained by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, contains the records of individuals convicted and sentenced for sexual offences against children and vulnerable persons. The National Child Protection Register, maintained by the Department of Social Development and designated child protection organisations, records children under the age of 18 who require care and protection.

The Department of Basic Education has previously stated that mandatory vetting of current employees against the National Register for Sex Offenders commenced in 2023 and remained ongoing. Training on the National Child Protection Register was provided to human resources practitioners in provincial education departments during October and November 2022.The provincial breakdown of teachers vetted versus those not vetted is:

Responses from Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal had not been received by the time of publication.

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond told Daily Maverick that delays often stemmed from incomplete applications and the lengthy process of obtaining supporting documentation.

“This is an extremely lengthy process and though the majority of officials comple