Seasoned Eastern Cape Health communications officer Sizwe Kupelo, who appeared in the East London Commercial Crimes Court last week, has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, forgery and uttering brought against him for allegedly submitting a fraudulent matric certificate, reports AlgoaFM.
Kupelo is alleged to have used a fraudulent matric certificate to secure a communications officer’s job at the Premier’s Office in April 2002, and, according to the Hawks, then used the same certificate for a Deputy Director of Communications’ position at the provincial Health Department – a job he currently occupies.
Prosecutor Siphamandla Ngxokolo said the provincial government suffered prejudice amounting to R18.1m because of this “invalid” matric certificate.
However, Kupelo says he does not have a matric certificate and denies ever misleading his employer by submitting a fraudulent one.
He is facing two counts of fraud, two counts of uttering and one count of forgery – but his legal team denied he submitted a matric certificate to secure the job at the Premier’s Office.
Advocate Mncedisi Simoyi for Kupelo said his client was never appointed based on his qualifications.
But former senior manager for HR at the Premier’s Office, Mxolisi Dokoda, who testified on Friday, disagreed, reports News24. He told the court he was one of the officials who shortlisted Kupelo for the interview.
Dokoda said: “There was no way he would have been appointed without a matric certificate. He was shortlisted because he had a matric certificate and (three certificates). It would have needed something like a Zondo Commission if he were appointed to the position without a basic requirement like matric.”
Simoyi told Dokoda the advert for the position needed a candidate with a three-year degree or diploma and three years’ experience in media or communications. He said the matric certificate was not listed in the advert.
Dokoda added this would have been a mistake because a matric certificate was a basic requirement.
He said all of the candidates for the position, including Kupelo, had matric certificates.
Simoyi added Kupelo submitted three certificates including a three-month community journalism certificate from Rhodes University, but not a matric certificate.
Dokoda said it was “common knowledge” a matric certificate was the basic requirement for employment in the private or public sector.
The state has in its possession a matric certificate with Kupelo’s name, but argues that the certificate belongs to Cinga Dyantyi, a nurse at Mthatha General Hospital, with whom Kupelo went to both junior and high school.
Kupelo’s instructing attorney, Elias Makhanya, told News24 his client had been headhunted and did not go through normal recruitment processes when he landed a communications officer’s job at the Premier’s Office 23 years ago.
“He was asked to submit his application. He submitted the documents he had, except a matric certificate because it was not in the advert (for the job). He did not respond to the advert but was requested to submit his documents.”
According to Makhanya, the Premier’s Office deviated from the normal recruitment processes when it hired Kupelo.
On the stand earlier last week, Kupelo’s supervisor, Siyanda Manana, detailed his working relationship with Kupelo, which he says deteriorated over time. He said when he arrived at the Department of Health in 2007, he was enthusiastic to develop his team, and asked for everyone’s CVs and qualifications to see where they could improve.
Manana said Kupelo submitted “qualifications” listed as a Standard 10 certificate, an election certificate, a Rhodes University diploma, and a community radio certificate.
“When I discovered he only had a Standard 10, I spoke to him about furthering his studies. He was not against the idea. We agreed we would make time for him to attend Rhodes and complete his diploma. He did not apply.”
He told AlgoaFM that everyone else who submitted their documents in 2007 and only had Standard 10 were now graduates, as he signed off on bursary opportunities so they could further their studies.
“I saw potential to develop him further… he works hard, he is good at his job… that we cannot take away from him.”
He said that years later, someone called him – in 2021 – and told him to take a closer look at the submitted certificate, as Kupelo did not have a Standard 10.
“I went back to examine it. I phoned my nephew to send me his certificate, I also requested he send me my own.”
He said his certificate was from 1987 and his nephew’s from 2016.
“When I compared ours with Kupelo’s, I noticed the font difference. His name was written a little bit skew while ours weren’t.”
He approached the departmental fraud unit who told him to confirm the authenticity of the certificate at the Steve Tshwete building in Zwelitsha.
“When I handed over the certificate, the person I gave it to said just by looking at it he could tell it was not genuine.”
Manana said he submitted the verification letter from the department and the alleged certificate to Umalusi, and it was stated that the certificate is not genuine – and in fact belonged to Cinga Dyantyi.
“I reported the matter to the then MEC and the fraud unit, and a disciplinary hearing followed.”
NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said he believed the NPA had a strong case against Kupelo.
Magistrate Sadia Jacobs postponed proceedings to 26 August for continuation of the trial.
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