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Friday, September 5, 2003 - Web posted at 11:57:51 GMT Scam rocks Unam PETROS KUTEEUEA LARGE number of Angolan students have been using fake Grade 12 qualifications to study at the University of Namibia for several years, according to documents in The Namibian's possession. |
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Some have already obtained degrees without completing high school. The Namibian has established that many others are still studying at Namibia's premier tertiary institution after failing Namibia's Grade 12 examinations - they registered at Unam with forged Angolan certificates. Unam spokesperson, Edwin Tjiramba, confirmed the scam but said the matter has already been handed to the Police for investigation. "It is a very complex issue ... we are aware of it. It is something we found out ourselves and the investigation is already underway," Tjiramba said, without providing further details. The official declined to reveal when the university became aware of these large-scale irregularities, stating: "I can't get into those details". But reliable sources informed The Namibian that the scandal, which has allegedly dragged on underground for six to seven years, first came to the fore in March this year. The Namibian also established that the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) has taken a keen interest in the matter. Sources pointed to the existence of a shady syndicate, comprised of "well-connected and respected" Angolan nationals and some staff at Unam. They allegedly sell fake Angolan "matric" certificates with artificially inflated pass marks to gain access to the university. "It is now common knowledge that the admission of Angolans is virtually a money spinner for some people in Namibian educational institutions, including some secondary school principals," one source claimed. One Angolan student with a forged certificate, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that she had to part with US$1 500 (approximately N$11 000 at the current exchange rate) to get her fake documents. She is now in her first year studying for a Bachelor of Science degree. Of the US$ 1 500, US$900 is allegedly shared between the two Angolan masterminds behind the scam. The remainder is said to go to a certain faculty officer at Unam who arranges the admission. Documents in possession of The Namibian indicate that dozens of Angolans students currently studying at Unam have either failed Grade 12 at local secondary schools or in their country. A further perusal of the records have revealed even more startling evidence - that some Grade 10 failures are currently registered as students at the university. In one particular instance, a former Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School Grade 12 Angolan learner implicated in the theft of last year's Grade 12 examination papers is currently registered in the Faculty of Science at Unam. The Ministry of Basic Education's 2002 IGCSE results print-out released early this year indicated his results as "pending" because exam paper suspects were barred from writing. The Namibian is in possession of a copy of a purported Angolan matriculation certificate he apparently used to gain admission to Unam. A closer analysis of last year's Grade 12 results and Unam records established that many more Angolan students who have entered the tertiary institution did so through the back door. In all, 160 such cases are said to have come to light. Sources confided to The Namibian that the number could easily quadruple as the scam has allegedly been going on for the last six to seven year. They say some of the students might have already graduated and left. Some Unam academic staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had long suspected loopholes in the institution's system of admission and the registration of students. They pointed out that several calls to improve the system so that it would be possible to verify particularly foreign qualifications are always met by moans of financial constraints by management. "How can you admit learners on the basis of mere copies translated here in Windhoek but which are very difficult to verify of the country of origin," said one lecturer. The Namibian has established that the uncovering of the scam has triggered panic among affected Angolan students at Unam, with many apparently desperately scurrying to buy their way out of them problem. Some student files have reportedly started disappearing from Unam, prompting management to remove the files of all Angolan students from the records room. The latest scandal is set to become a major embarrassment for the country's education sector, whose credibility was already dented by last year's theft of Grade 12 examination papers. |
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