The Eastern Cape Department of Education has unearthed fraudulent transport claims for thousands of "ghost pupils" that have cost taxpayers millions of rands.
An internal audit report into the 15-year-old scholar transport project was conducted between September and October last year after excessive budgetary demands on the department had been noticed.
The department’s director-general Professor Harry Nengwekhulu confirmed that in Libode the department had paid for the transportation of 9000 pupils while only 987 were being transported.
The audit has been given to the Special Investigating Unit and criminal charges may follow.
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