eMBALENHLE – The Nelspruit Commercial Crime Court sentenced two bogus teachers who were employed by Maphala Gulube Primary School in eMbalenhle to six years’ imprison on Monday, August 16.
The couple, Hlobisile Lindokuhle Mthembu and Bongisipho Robert Mthembu, used fraudulent qualifications to be employed at the school.
According to the police, in 2007, Hlobisile Mthembu submitted fraudulent qualifications for a primary teacher’s post and was employed by the school and the department of education.
Three years later, she recruited Robert Mthembu, who also submitted fraudulent qualification and he was also employed by the same school and was later transferred to another primary school.
A whistle-blower reported the crime to the department and an audit was conducted where all teachers were required to submit their original qualifications certificates, but the Mthembu-couple did not submit their qualifications.
In November 2016, the investigation ensued and the couple resigned. They were arrested in August 2018.
The couple was sentenced to six year’s imprisonment each, wholly suspended for five years on condition that they are not found guilty of fraud during the period of suspension.
The department suffered a loss of more than R1-million on both accused as they both pocketed R584 815.70 each.
Maphala Gulube Primary School was built by Sasol and was officially opened by the former president Nelson Mandela in September 2000.
The School was named after the late Ms Maphala Gulube who wrote a letter to late president Nelson Mandela in 1999 requesting additional primary school for eMbalenhle.
The government, in partnership with Sasol, handed over a checque of R2,5-million to build the school and Ms Gulube was afforded the opportunity to choose a suitable location.
Ms Gulube was laid to rest in July 2018 after her passing at one of the hospitals in Pretoria after a short illness.
