Nomalanga Prerty Labane (43) has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, after pleading guilty to fraud.
Labane used a forged matric certificate bearing the details of another candidate to gain admission to Walter Sisulu University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Education degree in 2014. She then worked as a teacher at schools in Amersfoort, including Theu-Theu Primary School.
The Mpumalanga Department of Education lost approximately R1.2 million in salaries and benefits paid to the unqualified educator. Her deception was uncovered following a whistleblower tip-off, leading to a Hawks investigation and her arrest in 2024.
She was sentenced in the Amersfoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Labane is now barred from teaching.