Don’t cheat, warns ANC after arrest of councillor for ‘fake matric certificate’

The ANC in the Bojanala region in North West has warned its councillors, leaders and members who falsify their qualifications to get jobs of the dire consequences they will face if they are found to be cheating.

This after a senior ANC councillor in the Rustenburg local municipality and the party’s regional executive committee member, Masego Moetsi, was arrested after she was found to have submitted a false matric certificate when she applied for a job as an MMC in the municipality’s executive committee.

Moetsi was charged with corruption and fraud and appeared in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court where she was released on R2 000 bail.

ANC councillor arrested for false matric certificate

The false certificate was found when the ANC sent her vetting forms to fill when she applied for the job of a member of the mayoral committee (MMC) in the Rustenburg municipality.

The police arrived at the ANC party caucus in the Rustenburg council and arrested Moetsi for the crime.

Growing phenomenon

ANC Bojanala regional secretary Raymond Moraile said the party was made aware of the growing phenomenon of misrepresentation of qualifications in the public sector.

“The scandal surrounding fake qualifications within our region has sent shockwaves throughout the academic community and has sparked a debate on the prevalence of the national senior certificate (matric certificate) fraud, especially among senior politicians,” Moraile said.

Moraile confirmed that the senior councillor, who is an ANC representative in the Rustenburg council, was arrested last Monday in connection with being in possession of a fake matric certificate.

“The ANC warns its members and leaders who have fake qualifications – or are in the process of obtaining one – to never avail themselves for public office with such bogus credentials because there are measures in place and they will be arrested on the spot,” Moraile added.

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Widespread use of fake qualifications

In the past, The Citizen has reported on the widespread use of fake qualifications among councillors and officials in government departments and state-owned enterprises in North West.

Many of them occupied senior leadership and management position in state structures, including mayorships, chief whips, municipal managers and chief financial officer positions.

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