PHUTI MOSOMANE
THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the resignation of Public and Service Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet following revelations that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is probing her for fraud pertaining to her academic qualifications.
In a sworn affidavit submitted by the University of Fort Hare (UFH) to the SIU as part of its ongoing investigation into the degree fraud at the university, it emerged that Kiviet fraudulently enrolled for honours and master’s degrees without having an undergraduate degree required for enrolment and undergoing the process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Kiviet is only in possession of a matric certificate and “a non-credit bearing short-course certificate with handwritten results.”
She was sworn-in last week as the new Public Service and Administration Minister, replacing Ayanda Dlodlo.
Kiviet, a senior ANC NEC member, is the former Premier of the Eastern Cape from 2009 to 2014 and former Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature.
EFF said that Kiviet has disgraced not only herself, but has undermined the integrity of the University of Fort Hare and jeopardized its public standing in a society that is “prone to question the legitimacy of predominantly African institutions of higher learning.”
“The EFF calls for the immediate resignation of the academic fraud Noxolo Kiviet, and for her to be barred from registering at any institution of higher learning for the crimes she has committed,” the EFF said in a statement.
It said these shocking reports give credence to the claims by University of Fort Hare Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu, who after an assassination attempt on his life revealed that there are 15 high ranking politicians implicated in the fraudulent awarding of postgraduate qualifications at the university.
“One amongst those is the ally of Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier of the Eastern Cape Oscar Mabuyane,” spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said in a statement.
DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Leon Schreiber said the party is preparing to submit a request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain and expose proof that newly appointed Minister for Public Service and Administration omitted degree fraud at the University of Fort Hare.
“It is yet another indictment on Ramaphosa that he has not only appointed one of the biggest, most bloated and most expensive Cabinets on earth, but that he has packed his executive with incompetents and malcontents. Ministers like Gwede Mantashe and Zizi Kodwa face serious allegations of corruption emanating from the Zondo Commission, and now Kiviet has been exposed as an alleged fraudster,” Schreiber said.
INSIDE POLITICS