MPUMALANGA – Sibongile Rose Khuzwayo (50) and Nonjabulo Bahle Mabuza (47) were found guilty and sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Volkrust Regional Court on Tuesday, 01 December 2020 for fraud.
The pair were arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in February 2017 after a probe revealed that they were employed by the Department of Education as teachers in July 2006 using fraudulent qualifications.
Khuzwayo took up her post at Hambani Primary School whilst Nonjabulo Bahle Mabuza was attached to Seme Secondary School. In 2015, nine years into their unwarranted employment it came to light that there were teachers in and around Gert Sibande District that got employed using fraudulent tertiary qualifications.
In an effort to address the concern, the department issued out a circular calling upon all educators to submit their qualifications for authentication. It was during this process that the pair failed to comply and instead opted to resign. Their initial applications were scrutinized and the qualifications were deemed to be suspicious. The Hawks were tasked to conduct further investigations which ultimately proved that the pair’s credentials were indeed fake.
Investigation revealed that Khuzwayo submitted fraudulent matric certificate with a serial number belonging to a deceased person. Mabuza submitted fraudulent Bachelor of Education Degree purportedly issued by the University of Pretoria.
The court has sentenced both to ten years imprisonment each. Their sentences are however wholly suspended for five years on condition that they are not found guilty of fraud during the period of suspension. Additionally, a confiscation order for their pension fund in the tune of R600 000-00 each has been granted.
