Former teacher arrested in fake matric scam
The pupils, aged between 23 and 50, were unaware the exam papers were fraudulent.
A former teacher, who charged admission and exam fees, was arrested.
Mi7 National group director Colin David said the Northdale man allegedly scammed adults into attending his school for their matric qualifications.
'The intelligence-led operation was driven by the police's uMgungundlovu district crime intelligence, Mountain Rise visible policing and the KwaZulu-Natal education department. When the team went to the Innes Avenue address on Friday they found lessons were being conducted in a room of a residential home which had been converted with desks and a whiteboard into a classroom.
'They found a group of pupils, aged between 23 and 50, writing their matric exams. Unbeknown to them, the papers they were writing were fraudulent. The suspect, believed to be a former teacher, had up to three dozen pupils he charged admission and exam fees for the tutoring,' he said.
More than 100 completed matric exam papers, fraudulent letters of admission containing falsified details and signatures, falsified documents and a receipt book for payments from pupils were found on site.
'The man was arrested on charges of fraud, forgery and uttering and theft by false pretences. We commend the extensive effort by all role players which led to the arrest,' added David.
TimesLIVE
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Herald
7 hours ago
- The Herald
Man suspected of double murder was a cop
The man suspected of shooting dead two young women at a flat in Central before turning the gun on himself on Friday morning was a police officer. 'Police can confirm that the [dead man] found on the scene was a 32-year-old off-duty police constable who was stationed at Algoa Park,' police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa said. An inquest docket and double murder case have been opened. Mawisa said Humewood detectives had responded to the scene at Gordon Terrace at about 9.30am. 'On arrival, they found the bodies of two women and a man with gunshot wounds. 'The motive for the double murder is unclear, however, a police investigation is under way. 'Information regarding the deceased will only be released once their next-of-kin have been informed.' According to bystanders, the two women worked as waitresses at a popular Gqeberha beachfront bar. The Herald


Mail & Guardian
11 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Ramaphosa's gambit on KwaZulu-Natal tightrope
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: FIle Senzo Mchunu has been placed on special leave pending a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations with national security implications. Despite the veneer of procedural propriety the announcement was anything but benign. 'Special leave' is neither a definitive sanction nor exoneration, but an unease to placate critics while preserving political capital. Ramaphosa, often accused of dithering, was again simply kicking for touch down the treacherous road of South African politics. The week-long delay in any meaningful statement about the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's damning allegations of corruption against Mchunu lays bare the fault lines of a presidency perpetually teetering on the edge of survival, particularly in the treacherous context of KwaZulu-Natal. The president was in a serious predicament. Mchunu is no ordinary minister. He backed Ramaphosa in the heavy contestation for president of the ANC in 2017. Mchunu, as a former premier and MEC is a lynchpin in the ANC's precarious hold on KwaZulu-Natal, a province where political loyalties are a brisk trade. Mchunu's influence, particularly north of the Tugela River, where the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) holds sway, is a rare asset for the ANC. His political clout in this region, coupled with his role as police minister, has made him a figure Ramaphosa cannot easily discard. Yet, Mchunu's alleged indiscretions — details of which remain shrouded in the opaque language of 'national security' — have forced Ramaphosa's hand. The president's hesitation to act decisively speaks volumes about the delicate balance he must strike, not least because Mchunu holds a sword over Ramaphosa's own head — the Phala Phala scandal. Had the police minister pursued those allegations with zeal, Ramaphosa might have faced the real prospect of criminal prosecution. The president's decision to place Mchunu on special leave, rather than sack him outright, hints at a quid pro quo, a tacit acknowledgment of mutual vulnerabilities. This is not the politics of principle but of survival, a grim reminder that in South Africa's corridors of power, loyalty is often a currency more valuable than integrity. Ramaphosa's reluctance to wield the axe betrays his fear that alienating Mchunu could unravel the ANC's fragile grip on KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal is a microcosm of South Africa's fractured polity, where opportunism and patronage reign supreme. The province defies the neat analyses of political scientists. Former president Jacob Zuma looms large over its rural hinterlands and urban centres. His uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, a belligerent force, threatens to erode the ANC's dominance in the provincial legislature and key municipalities, including the metropolitan prize of eThekwini. With municipal elections in 2026, Ramaphosa cannot afford to destabilise the ANC's already shaky foundations. A slip below 30% in the polls — a threshold the ANC has not crossed since 1994 — would signal not just an electoral defeat but the likely end of the party as a political force of any consequence. Ramaphosa knows that any misstep in KwaZulu-Natal could hasten its demise. The province's politics is a marketplace of competing interests, where loyalty is transactional and power is a prize to be bartered. Ramaphosa's lieutenants in the province are few and far between, their reliability questionable. Mchunu's value lies not just in his political acumen but in his ability to navigate this treacherous terrain, particularly in the IFP-dominated north. By placing him on special leave, Ramaphosa has opted for a half-measure, a gesture that avoids burning bridges while signalling a tepid commitment to anti-corruption. This decision is prevarication dressed up as pragmatism. The judicial commission of inquiry, like so many before it, risks becoming a theatre of delay, a mechanism to deflect public outrage while allowing the status quo to persist. What does this mean for South Africa? Ramaphosa's gambit is a microcosm of the broader malaise afflicting the nation's politics. The ANC, once a stellar liberation movement, is now a machine of patronage, its ideals eroded by the exigencies of power. In KwaZulu-Natal, where the stakes are highest, Ramaphosa's indecision risks ceding ground to forces that thrive on chaos. The 2026 municipal elections will be a litmus test, not just for the ANC but for Ramaphosa's fragile legacy. Dr Imraan Buccus is research associate at ASRI and at the University of the Free State.

The Herald
12 hours ago
- The Herald
Beware of fake Mkhwanazi profiles and using his face during protest marches, police warn
Police said Mkhwanazi also asked the public to stop using his photo during politically aligned marches, especially those against the president. 'Though the provincial commissioner appreciates the support people have showed towards the work of the KZN police, the use of his photograph and name on posters and banners during marches has the potential of sending unintended messages to government, government officials and the international community. The commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal is against crime and criminals, not leaders in government.' Throughout the week political parties, NGOs, civic organisations, security companies and religious groups were among hundreds who took to the streets as part of the #handsoffMkhwanazi campaign. At a media briefing on July 6, Mkhwanazi alleged political interference in police investigations. He said a criminal syndicate has infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence and implicated police minister Senzo Mchunu and senior officers. TimesLIVE