Umalusi, South Africa's education quality assurance body, has made significant strides in the past six months, resulting in the arrest of at least 11 individuals. This is significant as the body looks to combat the thriving selling of counterfeit certificates.
Umalusi CEO, Dr Mafu Rakomets revealed that since the National Senior Certificate exams State of Readiness Media Briefing on 13 October 2023, where Umalusi outlined safeguards to ensure the authenticity of its certificates, a total of 11 suspects have been arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The arrests took place in various locations, including Burgersfort in Limpopo and Pretoria.
Rakometsi detailed the timeline of the arrests, indicating that the first two suspects were apprehended in Burgersfort on 27 October 2023, followed by another suspect in Pretoria in November. In November three more suspects were arrested, and the final five were nabbed on 13 December 2023, again in Burgersfort.
They also revealed that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is currently facing corruption charges for allegedly issuing a diploma certificate in exchange for cash. Police investigations into these incidents are ongoing.
Police investigations are ongoing and Umalusi will continue to work closely with the law enforcement agencies in whatever way possible to ensure that the scammers or fraudsters are made to face the full might of the law
Rakometsi declared Umalusi's commitment to collaborating with law enforcement agencies to ensure that scammers and fraudsters face the full extent of the law. They emphasised that the issuance of fake certificates is not linked to Umalusi and urged employers in both the public and private sectors to verify qualifications through designated agencies listed on the Umalusi website.
Umalusi has got no business with fake certificates
Rakometsi concluded that the organisation's mandate is to issue authentic certificates to qualified candidates. The CEO concluded by encouraging employers to utilise the Certification and Verification icon on the Umalusi website for verification of qualifications.
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