Amersfoort teacher found guilty of using forged matric certificate

AMERSFOORT – A former teacher from Amersfoort was sentenced on May 7 after pleading guilty to teaching with a fraudulent matric certificate, resulting in losses exceeding R1.1m to the education department.

The Hawks confirmed that 43-year-old Nomalanga Labane was convicted, following an investigation by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit based in Secunda.

Labane allegedly failed her matric examinations several times before obtaining a forged certificat in 2003.

She later enrolled at Walter Sisulu University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Education degree in 2014.

She was initially employed as a temporary teacher at Hlelimfundo Secondary School before securing a permanent teaching position at Theu-Theu Primary School.

In 2022, the Mpumalanga Department of Education received information from a whistle-blower regarding the fake qualification.

An internal investigation was conducted before the case was handed to the Hawks for further investigation.

Following the investigation, Labane was summoned to court in 2024 and appeared several times before pleading guilty to all charges on March 26.

On May 7, the court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence.

Authorities said the Mpumalanga Department of Education suffered a financial loss of R1 123 811.42 as a result of the fraudulent activities.

The provincial head of the Hawks, Nico Gerber, warned against fraud in the education sector, particularly the use of forged qualifications.

“It is not only about the money lost, but more importantly about the future of learners who are not adequately prepared to take the country forward,” Gerber said.