A former Department of Health employee has been sentenced in the East London Special Crimes Court for submitting fraudulent qualifications.
Sicelo Sonjica worked as an emergency care officer since 2015 and failed to submit his matric certificate along with five other emergency employees.
The 49-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of fraud and forgery and Magistrate Twanette Olivier handed down a sentence of five years imprisonment, wholly suspended, and two years of correctional supervision.
For almost seven years, six Emergency Medical Care Services (EMS) workers, employed by the Eastern Cape Health Department, managed to fly under the radar before it was discovered that they had allegedly submitted fake qualifications.
Sonjica who was based at the Alfred Nzo District in Mbizana, resigned last year when he could not provide a matric certificate.
Background
In April 2015 Sonica and his co-accused were employed in various positions including as an ambulance practitioner, basic life support officer and emergency care practitioner.
This followed a recruitment drive by the department during which 730 positions were advertised for EMS officers in all eight districts of the Eastern Cape.
The department said the requirements for the positions were, inter alia, a Grade 12 or equivalent certificate.
"The six officials applied were shortlisted, interviewed and employed," the department said in a statement.
However, in March 2022 - almost seven years later - the officials were requested to submit their original certificates, which they failed to do.
"The department embarked on verification of qualifications where their Grade 12 certificates were declared fraudulent and the matter was referred to the Hawks for investigation."
Co-accused
Palesa Molekane, 46, an ambulance practitioner in Maletswai (Aliwal North), Nonceba Maggie Mpelwane,54, an EMS controller in Maletswai, Ntombizodwa Sibidla, 43, a basic life supporter at Burgersdorp and Lebuhang Busakwe, 47, are expected to appear in court next year where they are expected to plead.
They are all out on bail of R5 000.
According to the Hawks, the Department of Health was prejudiced to an amount of R8 million.
