Man assumes false identity to secure job

Shelton Masina

A man from New Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly using someone’s educational certificates to secure a teaching job at Nkayi High School.

It is alleged that Sicelo Ngwenya (22) misrepresented to Nkayi High School that he was Kholwani Matshazi and produced photocopies of academic certificates and documents of his friend to be employed by Nkayi High School as a temporary teacher.

It is understood that in August the headmistress of Nkayi High School, Langelihle Maipisi, advertised a vacant teaching post.

Ngwenya was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 22 October.

It is reported that in September Ngwenya reported at Nkayi High School where he met the headmistress and identified himself as Kholwani Matshazi. Ngwenya, the court heard, produced photocopies of Ordinary Level and Advanced Level certificates, birth certificate, national identity card and merits certificates. These reportedly included a 2016 Advanced Level STEM initiative award to Kholwani Matshazi.

It is reported that Ms Maipisi requested for original academic documents of Ngwenya and he told Ms Maipisi that the original documents were in South Africa.

Ms Maipisi offered Ngwenya a one-term contract extending from September to December.

The matter came to light when police officers received a tip-off to the effect that Ngwenya was using someone else’s documents and investigations led to the arrest of Ngwenya.

It is alleged that Ngwenya was using photocopies of academic certificates which belong to Kholwani Matshazi, a first year Chemical Engineering student at the National University of Science and Technology. Ngwenya had worked for one-and-half- months and received a monthly salary of $650-00.