Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo submitted a matric certificate that belonged to someone else when applying for his job, the East London commercial crimes court heard on Wednesday.
The veteran government communications officer is standing trial for two counts of fraud, two counts of uttering and forgery relating to an allegedly fraudulent senior certificate. Kupelo has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Provincial health communications director Siyanda Manana on Wednesday told the court that a verification process had revealed that the certificate submitted by Kupelo belonged to someone named Gcina Dyantyi.
Dyantyi is expected to testify later as a state witness.
Manana told the court when he joined the communications department in 2007, he asked all staff in the department to submit their qualifications and CVs.
He did this because he needed to know their qualifications and to help develop them in the right direction. All staffers duly submitted copies of their qualifications.
Kupelo reportedly submitted a standard 10 (grade 12) and three other certificates.
Manana said when he looked at Kupelo’s qualifications in 2007, he did not notice anything untoward.
“It was only in 2021 when a person called me about the fact Kupelo didn’t have standard 10 [matric] that I went back to the files and thoroughly examined the documents.
“When I compared my certificate and those of my nephews to his, the first thing I picked up was the font. The names on mine were straight, and his were skewed.
“I then went to the fraud unit to see if this was something of concern and what should I do.
“I was advised to go to the education office in Zwelitsha. I wrote a letter requesting verification of the certificate.
“Feedback was that the certificate didn’t belong to the accused. It belonged to a Gcina Dyantyi.”
Manana said the documents on file were not the originals, but were all certified as genuine.
“I took the response of Umalusi [the education quality control council] and the certificates and gave them to the fraud unit. I reported it to the then MEC.”
Kupelo was arrested in 2024 and remains on bail of R30,000. He remains in the employ of the health department.
According to the charge sheet, Kupelo landed government jobs for which he was paid more than R18m over the course of his career.
He is alleged to have submitted a forged grade 12 certificate when applying for two government posts.
The Eastern Cape department of health, listed as the complainant in the matter, alleges Kupelo misrepresented his qualifications when applying for the post of “Communication Officer: Media Liaison post in the Office of the Premier” in 2001, and later, as “Deputy Director: Communications post in the Department of Health” in 2002.
While the health department is named as the complainant on the charge sheet, Manana testified that he was the complainant.
According to the charge sheet, the certificate Kupelo submitted, listing his date of birth as June 1 1978, was later found to be fraudulent.
Internal investigations by the health department allegedly found that Kupelo had not completed matric and was never issued a valid senior certificate.
But the alleged misrepresentation led to his shortlisting, interviews and eventual appointment in both positions.
The state alleges he acted with intent to defraud, knowingly submitting a forged document, and failed to disclose that he had not met the minimum educational requirements.
Both posts required a three-year degree or diploma in communications.
An internal disciplinary hearing found Kupelo not guilty.
Questioned by advocate Mncedisi Simoyi, for Kupelo, it was put to Manana that neither post listed a senior certificate as a requirement.
Manana said he had found that strange.
Manana agreed Kupelo had misled no-one in the office of the premier or the health department.
Simoyi said Kupelo was approached to submit his documents, did so, and was shortlisted for the jobs.
Simoyi said there was no senior certificate in the documents.
Manana responded: “The advert clearly stated the requirements. He didn’t meet any of the requirements in terms of qualifications.”
Simoyi said Kupelo did not mislead either the office of the premier or the department of health, as it was known what qualifications he possessed.
Manana said: “Sitting back, I looked at him and saw potential that maybe when I retired, he would take over from me. He works hard and is also good at his work.”
Manana said that when he joined the department, relations between the two were good but degenerated over time. He attributed the degeneration to accountability issues.
The trial continues on Thursday. A new witness will take the witness stand.
Daily Dispatch
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