A Gauteng forensic investigation has revealed that Helena Jooste, a former teacher at Laudium Secondary School in Pretoria, South Africa, went on paid maternity leave after falsely claiming to be pregnant, sparking concerns over oversight in the education department.
According to a report released by Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office, Jooste applied for maternity leave in June 2016, began leave in August, and returned to work in December of the same year. She submitted a medical certificate allegedly signed by a doctor at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital, stating she would be on maternity leave from August to December. However, investigators discovered the certificate was fraudulent. The doctor confirmed that Jooste had last consulted their practice in 2008.
“We have noted with concern that normally doctors have a standard format of their medical certificate to which they fill up in handwriting after they have examined a patient,” the report states.
Despite allegations raised to the school principal at the time, Jooste continued receiving her salary. The report also investigated her qualifications, finding that both her matric certificate from Sutherland High School and her B Ed degree from the University of Pretoria were authentic. Jooste had worked at Andre Anthony Primary School from January to June 2013 before joining Laudium.
Jooste resigned a month after returning from leave. In her resignation letter, she wrote: “I cannot return knowing the harm I’ve caused emotionally to myself and others. I need a fresh start,” the report noted.
The report recommended that the Gauteng Department of Education recover the R71,170.97 Jooste earned during the four months of fraudulent maternity leave, suggesting that the funds could be recovered from her pension fund. It also recommended opening a criminal case and blacklisting her from the Persal system.
Investigators highlighted systemic failures that allowed the fraudulent leave to go unchallenged for years. “We recommend that the head of the department open a criminal case against Jooste for the fraudulent maternity leave and the salary that accrued to her as a result. We further recommend that Ms Jooste should be blacklisted from the Persal system,” the report states.
