An investigation into a scam involving fake education qualifications has been dealt a blow after the woman who was under scrutiny by police and the department of education was found dead at her home last Sunday.
ALSO READ: Woman stabbed to death in Margate
A Sunday newspaper reported that the deputy principal of Margate Middle School, Sindiswa Base (44) was being investigated for allegedly using a dead teacher’s Rhodes University qualification to secure her post.
Mystery surrounds Mrs Base’s death and Margate Saps have opened both a murder and attempted murder docket for investigation.
Police spokesman, Captain Gerald Mfeka said police received a report of a stabbing in Margate Ext 3 at about 1.15pm last Sunday.
“Police found a man on the ground outside the house. He had been stabbed.
“They noticed that the door to the house was wide open and the floors and walls were covered in blood.
“Paramedics were in the master bedroom, attempting to resuscitate Ms Base. They were however unsuccessful and she was declared dead at the scene.”
Her husband (47), who can not be named at this stage of the investigation, is a teacher at a local high school.
He was taken to hospital and his condition is described as ‘serious but stable’.
Police found two bloodstained kitchen knives in the house.
Mrs Base is alleged to have appropriated the qualifications of Nonkanyiso Ophelia Fumba, who died in 2011.
Captain Mfeka confirmed that Margate detectives had begun investigating forgery and uttery allegations involving Mrs Base in 2016.
She is believed to have presented Mrs Fumba’s documents to secure a job at a high school before moving to Margate Middle School as a level one teacher.
She was promoted to deputy principal in 2016 by the School Governing Body in place at that time.
Shortly after her appointment, parents with children at the school discovered that Mrs Base’s qualifications were fake and reported this to the department of education.
Department spokesman, Sihle Mlotshwa, said the Sayidi Circuit Management Centre (CMC) became aware of the discrepancies in Mrs Base’s qualifications in December 2016, when she was asked to submit her qualifications for her promotion to the deputy principal post.
“The chief education specialist in Sayidi withheld her promotional letter and sent her qualifications to the district for submission to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) which is a statutory body, regulated in terms of the National Qualifications Framework, for verification.
“Mrs Base then issued the circuit with a lawyer’s letter asking for clarification on its reasons for withholding her appointment letter.
“No response was received from SAQA, which resulted in the CMC releasing Ms Base’s appointment letter. We are still awaiting the verification of her qualification,” said Mr Mlotshwa.
Mrs Base began teaching at Gabangezwe Secondary School in Harding in August 1995. She resigned in January 2009 and was reappointed as a Unprotected Temporary Educator (UTE) at Enyanisweni Primary in February 2011.
She was then transferred to Marburg Primary under an SGB appointment before moving to Margate Middle School in March 2012.
Rhodes University spokesman, Veliswa Mhlope confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that Ms Fumba’s qualifications were legitimate.
“However, we do not know who Mrs Base is as we had never heard of her prior to this investigation.”
No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.
This begs the question: due to marriage and divorce, how many female teachers’ ID books and qualifications bear different names, and is this monitored in any way?
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