Fake matric certificate lands former teacher with suspended jail term

A former Mpumalanga teacher who allegedly failed matric several times before obtaining a fraudulent certificate has been sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud-related charges. Nomalanga Labane, 43, from Amersfoort, was sentenced by the court on Thursday to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence during the suspension period. The Hawks said Labane acquired the fake matric certificate in 2003 after repeatedly failing matric.

Using the fraudulent document, she was later admitted to the Walter Sisulu University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Education degree in 2014. She subsequently worked as a temporary teacher at Hlelimfundo Secondary School before securing a permanent position at Theu-Theu Primary School in Amersfoort. The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Secunda said the fraud came to light in 2022 after a whistleblower alerted the Mpumalanga department of education about the alleged fake matric certificate.

The department launched an internal investigation before handing the matter to the Hawks for further investigation. Following what authorities described as an intensive probe, Labane was summoned to court in 2024. She appeared in court several times before pleading guilty to all charges on March 26 this year.

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The Hawks said the Mpumalanga department of education suffered losses amounting to more than R1.1m as a result of her fraudulent employment. Mpumalanga Hawks head Maj-Gen Nico Gerber warned against fraud in the education sector, saying the consequences extended beyond financial losses. “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,” said Gerber. The Hawks said the conviction should serve as a warning to individuals using forged qualifications to secure employment, particularly in critical sectors such as education.

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