By Tunomukwathi Asino
WINDHOEK – Police investigations into a scam in which 29 people allegedly obtained forged qualifications from Zimbabwe are not yet complete.
Ninenteen of the accused, from the initial group of 29 arrested last year, were informed by the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last Friday that investigations into the matter are still incomplete.
The accused are, Sofia Nevonga, Regina Nelumbu, Annely Shilunga, Saima Nakathila, Josefina Iita, Benedicta Stefanus, Eliah Kaiko, David Ndemusuunye Shivinga, Monica Itengula, Paulus Ndara, Gregor Mbanze Sikerete, Samuel Samwel Sem, Nghaanekwa Linea Ingavenya, Nghaanekwa Lineekela, Johanna Sackaria, Shaamena Lossina Ndeshipanda, Fillemon Jatileni, Tyson Pickard and Elmo Mathias.
Magistrate Justine Asino remanded the matter to May 29.
The Namibian Police arrested the 29 job seekers last year on suspicion they submitted fake qualifications from bogus colleges in Zimbabwe in their desperate quest to secure jobs. Sources informed New Era last year that the police are looking for 200 other suspects with fake Grade 12 certificates – among them bogus doctors.
Some of the suspects submitted the fake qualifications to several institutions of higher learning for entrance, while nine used the “qualifications” to secure jobs in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and City Police.
Sources said the suspects informed the Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA) they obtained their qualifications from colleges in Zimbabwe, which upon inquiry turned out to be bogus.
They were arrested in October, November and December last year. Twenty-eight have been granted bail except one, Tyson Pickard who was denied bail early November.
After the incident, NQA warned of fake institutions. Speaking in an interview regarding bogus educational institutions and academic fraud, NQA Chief Executive Officer, Franz Gertze, cautioned parents to be wary of such bogus institutions as they desperately try to find their children further studies after completing their Grade 10 and 12 exams.
“My eyes are always filled with tears when I realise that someone was studying with money for which three of the goats in the kraal were sold and people went hungry and then they come back to NQA and say I was robbed,” Gertze said.
“I went to an institution that NQA does not know, that hurts literally and it happens mainly to the poorest of the poor who send their children to these unfortunately not always honest institutions. I call them criminal institutions. The rich send their children to well-renowned institutions.”
He urged parents and guardians to approach the NQA for advice before they enrol their children in bogus institutions.