Former KZN teacher's fight for unpaid salary ends in dismissal over fake qualifications.
The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) has dealt a final blow to a former KwaZulu-Natal teacher who demanded R40,000 in unpaid salary and bonus after it was ruled that she was no longer entitled to remuneration because her dismissal had already been confirmed on appeal.
ELRC Commissioner Nolundi Shezi dismissed the unfair labour practice application brought by Kalayvan Govender against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, concluding that she had no legal entitlement to a salary once her statutory employment contract was formally terminated.
The roots of the dispute trace back to January 2025, when the department dismissed Govender following a disciplinary hearing that found her guilty of serious misconduct involving the submission of a fraudulent qualification certificate.
Seeking to overturn the sanction, Govender launched an official appeal directly to the office of the KZN MEC for Education.
