Sizwe Kupelo Accused of Using Fraudulent Matric Certificate to Secure Deputy Director Position
Sizwe Kupelo, the former spokesperson of the Eastern Cape’s Department of Health, has been released on R30,000 bail following his arrest this week for allegedly using a fraudulent matric certificate to obtain his position as deputy director of communications.
The arrest was made by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), with Kupelo appearing in the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court, where he was granted bail.
Facing charges of fraud, forgery, and uttering, Kupelo is accused of applying for a communications officer position in the Eastern Cape Premier’s office in March 2002, subsequently securing the role in April of the same year. Later, in November 2002, he was appointed as Deputy Director of Communications by the Department of Health in Bhisho.
According to Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Warrant-Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, an audit conducted by the Department of Health in 2020 revealed discrepancies in Kupelo’s qualifications. It was found that during his employment, Kupelo lacked a valid matric certificate and allegedly submitted a fraudulent one.
The case has been adjourned to April 30 for a regional court hearing.
Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, the provincial head of the Hawks, commended the investigative team for their impartial and thorough handling of the case.
Apart from his professional career, Kupelo gained public attention for initiating a petition to ban pit bulls in South Africa in October 2022, following incidents resulting in fatalities associated with the breed. Launched under his Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, the petition aimed to gather 50,000 signatures, citing concerns over pit bull attacks on innocent citizens, including children. The foundation noted that several countries, including Russia, Finland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Portugal, parts of Germany, China, Brazil, and Australia, had already outlawed the breed.