Johannesburg - ActionSA Eastern Cape provincial chairperson Athol Trollip has said that the scandal surrounding Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s allegedly fake degree has sent shock waves through the academic community and sparked a nationwide debate on the prevalence of degree fraud, especially among senior politicians.
According to Trollip, President Cyril Ramaphosa has mandated the Hawks to investigate degree fraud, corruption, and assassinations at the University of Fort Hare in the province.
He said that this mandate highlights the seriousness of these allegations and underscores the need for a thorough and impartial investigation.
He said that it cannot be overly stated that fraud and corruption undermine the foundations of South Africa’s education system, eroding trust and devaluing legitimate qualifications. ActionSA called for urgent and concrete measures to be taken to address this issue and restore the credibility of South Africa’s higher learning institutions.
Trollip said that Mabuyane’s rise to prominence was based on his qualifications, including a prestigious degree from the University of Fort Hare.
“However, recent investigations unearthed evidence suggesting that his degree may be a fabrication. This revelation has fuelled public outrage with political analysts already counting the cost, potential consequences, and broader implications on the integrity of the country’s education system,” he said.
Trollip added that, while urging an internal review of the university’s procedures for validating qualifications, ActionSA insists that unless this is investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the ANC elite would continue to subvert everything to protect its political leadership.
“What makes this scheme more galling is the fact that their so-called studies and qualifications are funded by taxpayers and state institutions. This effectively means that not only are the qualifications suspicious, but they are also free,” he said.
The ActionSA leader further said that these scams undermined the hardships faced by bona fide students in the province and that of parents who have funded and supported their studies at the university, which for years did not have the necessary degree accreditation for certain courses, despite students futilely studying these for years.
“The callous, uncaring, and calculating participation of former premier and now minister Noxolo Kiviet and Mabuyane in the FHU (Fort Hare University) degree scam is reminiscent of the last days of the Roman Empire when Nero was fiddling while Rome was burning.
“Kiviet’s silence on this matter is deafening and the fact that Premier Mabuyane interdicted the ANC president and leader of his own party to stop any investigation into the matter shows implicitly that corruption will not end with such obvious self-service, greed, and corruption if those who hold the highest office are not brought to book,” he said.
The Star