Hawks nab Sassa official for allegedly using fake matric certificate to get job, pocketing R4m

A Sassa official in Mpumalanga has appeared in court for allegedly lying about her qualifications and in turn pocketing a salary of around R4 million over 14 years.

Alina Dimakatso Nkwanyana Selepe was released on R3,000 bail by the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court on Monday. She was arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit in Volksrust on Friday.

“It is alleged that in 2006 there was an advertised post for an administration team leader in the department of Sassa. In applying for the said position, the suspect submitted a fraudulent matric certificate… [A matric certificate] was one of the requirements for that job. As a result, the suspect was employed and appointed as an administration team leader at Sassa,” Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said.

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Sekgotodi said the alleged fraud was discovered during a vetting process in which qualifications were verified by the Department of Education.

“The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Nelspruit during December 2020 and investigation revealed that the suspect prejudiced the government over R4 million in salary between 2006 and 2020 (sic),” Sekgotodi said.

The case was postponed to 26 March.

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