Sizwe Kupelo, the chief of the communications unit in the Eastern Cape department of health, returns to court on April 30 after being freed on R30 000 bail.
Kupelo handed himself over to the authorities at the East London police station on Wednesday on charges of fraud and forgery.
After appearing before the Zwelitsha magistrate’s court, he was freed on the condition that he would not make contact with Bulela Chaka, Khunjulwa Livi, Siyanda Manana, or Cinga Dyantyi, who are his colleagues.
Falsified matriculation certificate
In 2001 and 2002, Kupelo is alleged to have presented a forged matriculation certificate to secure employment as a communication liaison officer and in his current capacity as deputy director of communications at the department.
Kupelo has been working for the department for more than 10 years.
Reports state that the police started looking into Kupelo in November 2021.
Asanda Pakade, Kupelo’s attorney, stated that the accusations made against his client are malicious and without foundation.
There is no case against my client
“From a glimpse of the charge sheet, we are of the view that there’s no case against my client,” said Pakade.
“We would be surprised even if this matter goes to a file; we don’t anticipate that.
“We are very confident that there’s no case, but we await the state to make a full disclosure of the contents.”
Good and clean governance
The department said in a statement that it would cooperate with the investigation aimed at strengthening the integrity of the services it provides to the public.
It added that it supported any action that encouraged good and clean governance in the province.
“The department has noted the arrest and subsequent release on bail of its official,” it said in a statement late on Wednesday.
“However, because this is now a criminal matter handled by the elite crime-fighting unit, the department cannot and will not comment further on the matter.”
