Letter Pankie’s undoing
Sizani’s R1.2m fraud trial for allegedly creating phantom teachers finally gets under way
I withdrew the money and gave it to Mrs Sizani. She then gave me R3 000
AN anonymous letter to the provincial Education Department was the undoing of an ANC MP’s wife who was caught out for allegedly creating “ghost” teachers and then pocketing their salaries. Portia “Pankie” Sizani, 46, pleaded not guilty to 31 counts of fraud and moneylaundering, totalling R1.2-million, on the first day of her trial in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court yesterday.
Her husband, ANC parliamentary chief whip Stone Sizani, was not present and the glamorous Sizani was instead supported by a group of women friends.
The trial – delayed by a year due to Sizani’s alleged ill-health – got off to a dramatic start when the court issued a warrant of arrest for one of the alleged ghost teachers, Sizani’s niece, Amanda Noluntshungu.
Prosecutor Ronelle Brink said Noluntshungu, who was subpoenaed to testify yesterday, had previously informed her of the reasons why she did not want to be in court.
“We know where she is and the police will fetch her,” Brink said.
Sizani, of Summerstrand, was employed as coordinator of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme at the provincial Education Department at the time of the alleged fraud.
The ECD provides for the appointment of Grade R teachers at Eastern Cape schools.
Sizani started working for the department as a teacher in East London in 1991 and slowly worked her way up the ranks. Her husband was the former education MEC.
It is alleged Sizani carried out the scam at least 16 times between January 2009 and November 2010.
Education Department district director Dr Nyathi Ntsiko, the first state witness to be called yesterday, said the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) had launched a probe into Sizani’s affairs in October 2010 after the department received an anonymous letter detailing the alleged fraud.
Following an internal disciplinary hearing, Sizani resigned.
Ntsiko said a circular had been issued by the superintendent-general in May 2008, setting out the process to be followed by the department when subsidising the salaries of Grade R teachers as part of the ECD programme.
He said once a school identified the need for a Grade R teacher, the principal or head of the governing body would apply to the department for funding.
The application would be submitted to the district coordinator – a position held by Sizani at the time – to scrutinise the application.
The application would then be sent to head office in Zwelitsha, after which Sizani would inform the school concerned to begin advertising the post.
Once a candidate had been decided on, the school principal and district director were required to fill out an assumption of duty form.
The state alleges, however, that Sizani processed numerous fraudulent applications, resulting in the irregular appointments of Grade R teachers.
She would allegedly obtain the personal details of teachers, apply for posts on their behalf and falsify the principal’s signature of approval. Once the money was paid into the teachers’ accounts, Sizani would allegedly inform them that a mistake had been made and the money should be paid to her.
Musa Zokufa-Mlahleki, principal of Elundini Pre-Primary School in Motherwell, said Noluntshungu began volunteering as a Grade R practitioner at the school in late 2008.
Because Noluntshungu was still studying towards her teaching diploma and worked on a voluntary basis, the school arranged that each parent would pay her a stipend of R20 a month.
However, it is alleged that unbeknown to the school, Sizani submitted an application to the department for her niece to permanently fill the position.
Included in the documentation was a fraudulent assumption of duty form supposedly signed by Zokufa-Mlahleki, certifying that Noluntshungu had started work on January 1 2009.
Noluntshungu allegedly received a monthly salary between January 2009 and December 2010.
“When the SIU came to see me, she confessed,” Zokufa-Mlahleki said. “I had been harassing the parents who were not paying the R20, I felt so sorry for her. She confessed to me that she was helped by her aunt, Mrs Sizani.”
Xolelwa Tyatyaza said that after giving her CV to Sizani in October 2009, she received an SMS asking her to sign a contract for a position as a Grade R teacher despite her falling short of the required qualifications for the job.
“I was told I was [temporarily] filling someone else’s position and the money that would be paid into my account was not mine.”
Tyatyaza said that shortly afterwards R23 000 was paid into her bank account. “I withdrew the money and gave it to Mrs Sizani. She then gave me R3 000.”
The trial continues.