As students write, a police officer with fake matric is still in the police force

As thousands of South African students began their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Monday, it has emerged that a South African Police Service (Saps) officer continues to serve despite having falsified their matric qualification.

This revelation came through Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu’s response to a parliamentary question posed by ActionSA’s Dereleen James.

According to Mchunu, since 2021, Saps has identified 21 officers who gave a false account of their qualifications.

“In respect of members who falsified qualifications, 10 were dismissed and 10 resigned from the Saps.

“One member who had falsely represented her Grade 12 qualification is still in the Saps, and the departmental process against her, is still in process,” Mchunu revealed.

He also confirmed that all 21 officials were charged for misrepresenting their qualifications.

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Faking matric certificate a ‘criminal offense’

Willem Els, senior training coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), emphasised the severity of qualification fraud within law enforcement.

“It’s not only an internal disciplinary offence. It’s also a criminal offence,” Els said.

Els indicated that potential solutions may be forthcoming, noting that addressing corruption should be a key priority for the minister.

Els emphasised the need for comprehensive reform in the police service’s recruitment and verification processes.

“We will have to wait and see if there are any policy reforms. The minister is going to make known his new national police policy,” he said.

“The minister has identified corruption as his second priority, and we hope that he will address these qualification issues comprehensively in the new national police policy,” Els said.

He added that current cases highlight significant gaps in the verification system that need immediate attention.

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‘Stronger verification processes needed’, says expert

The ISS training coordinator stressed that qualification fraud undermines both public trust and police effectiveness.

“When we have officers serving with falsified qualifications, it doesn’t just compromise the integrity of the service – it poses real risks to public safety and the quality of policing,” Els explained.

According to Els, the solution requires a multi-faceted approach.

“We need stronger verification processes during recruitment, regular audits of existing personnel qualifications, and most importantly, swift consequences for those found to have misrepresented their credentials,” he said.

The revelation of qualification fraud cases comes at a crucial time as Saps undergoes broader organisational reforms.

Els noted that addressing this issue should be part of a larger strategy to restore public confidence in the police service.

“These incidents of qualification fraud, while concerning, present an opportunity to implement stricter controls and demonstrate Saps’ commitment to maintaining high professional standards,” he concluded.

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