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"Fake radiographer" to hear her fate at end of the month

Asisipho Mbekela (27) at the Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday.


The 27-year-old woman, who worked as a radiographer allegedly without the necessary qualifications is now at the mercy of the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

It is now up to the court to decide if Asisipho Mbekela is guilty of falsely graduating from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) after she produced forged results at the official ceremony in 2016.

She worked as a radiographer doing community service at Livingstone Hospital in 2016 before the official graduating ceremony after claiming that she had passed a reassessment exam.

The State alleges that she forged her results as she did not qualify for a re-exam according to CPUT's criteria after she had dismally failed her modules.

The court heard closing arguments from the State and Mbekela's attorney, Peter Daubermann, on Thursday.

While the court would have been ready to hand down judgement on Friday - a clash of available dates between all involvement moved "D day" to the end of the month.

State Advocate, Siebert Baartman, said the paper trail was undisputed and the evidence against the accused was one of the strongest he has seen in his career as a Prosecutor.

Her defence attorney, Peter Daubermann said it is reasonably improbable that his client would have taken a risk of attending the graduation ceremony fully knowing she didn't qualify.

Daubermann also argued that it is reasonably improbable that she would have gone to the ceremony with her family if she was not sure that she would be able to convince a CPUT official that she qualified to graduate.

Mbekela has maintained her innocence throughout the trial.

Judgment is expected to be handed down on the 31st of August and Mbekela will remain out on bail.