This follows reports alleging that Kiviet holds an Honours Degree in Administration and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Fort Hare (UFH) without an undergraduate qualification, while only being in possession of a matric certificate and a non-credit bearing short course certificate wherein the results are handwritten.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has confirmed that it is probing the claims, as part of its wider investigation into fraud at the university.
The EFF says these reports support claims that qualifications are being fraudulently awarded at the university.
“These shocking reports give credence to the claims by the UFH Vice-Chancellor Sakhele Buhlungu, who after an assassination attempt on his life revealed that there are fifteen high-ranking politicians, who are implicated in the fraudulent awarding of post-graduate qualifications at the University. One amongst those is the ally of Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier of the Eastern Cape Oscar Mabuyane”.
The SIU said it’s unable to comment on the investigation at this stage and will only comment once there is an outcome.
When asked for comment, the spokesperson for UFH, JP Roodt said they were prohibited by the POPI Act to disclose any information about any of its current or past students.
"All matters to do with the admission of individuals into programmes by the UFH Department of Public Administration at the Bisho campus and the awarding of these qualifications are ongoing and progressing well following a Presidential proclamation directing the SIU to prioritise investigations," he said.
In August 2022, the President authorised the SIU to launch an investigation into four contracts and the awarding of Honours degrees at the University of Fort Hare under Proclamation R.84 of 2022.
