Joburg mayor’s academic qualifications revealed – Gwamanda doesn’t have a matric

Joburg’s mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, revealed his true academic qualifications… and it does not include a diploma in business as has been alleged.

Joburg mayor: Business degree?

Last month, the mayor who has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons since he was elected in May 2023, was the subject of a probe into his academic qualifications.

Following his election, Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks told Carte Blanche that Gwamanda had a diploma in business.

Gwamanda was also meant to address allegations by opposition parties that his qualifications don’t check out, as well as allegations the vetting process for his election may have been tampered with, at a media briefing soon after his election, but he failed to show up.

ALSO READ: ‘I inherited a city in tatters’ – Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda

‘The only thing I have is a NIC certificate’ – Gwamanda

In a startling confession to EWN, the 41-year-old mayor, however, admitted that his highest level of education is a National Intermediate Certificate (NIC).

The NIC is a level three certificate which is awarded on completion of Grade 10, according to the website of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

The certificate allows the holder to be enrolled at a technical and vocational education training (TVET) college. Gwamanda told the publication that he did not continue his studies though. This because he had to “focus on other issues” such as “building my family”.

“The only thing that I have is a NIC certificate. The reason why I did not continue was because I had to focus on other issues. Me focusing on building my family meant that I had to work harder than the rest of us.”

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– Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda

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Controversy

After the resignation of fellow Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad as City of Joburg mayor due to pressure from coalition partners, the African National Congress (ANC) endorsed Gwamanda for the position on 5 May 2023.

Since his election, fraud allegations relating to his funeral insurance company, Ithemba Lama Afrika, have been levelled against him by Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Mpho Phalatse.

ActionSA has also stepped into the fray by filing a motion of no confidence in Gwamanda last week, saying he cannot remain at the helm of a R70 billion city while he faces fraud allegations.

After Gwamanda delivered his maiden State of the City Address (Soca) on 6 June, he postponed his media briefing.

During the Soca debate, the mayor fell ill and was hospitalised.

On Tuesday this week, Gwamanda hit back at criticism for side-stepping the media since he took office by saying that council rules do not require him to “subject myself to media interrogation”.

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