Durban - A cash-for-access scam, believed to have been running since 2002, has been uncovered at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) involving students who paid R2 000 to have matric and other results changed on the internal system so they qualified to study.
The staff member accused of the fraud has tried to resign but DUT’s vice chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa, said her resignation had been declined and she would face the internal inquiry.
“The university will lay formal charges of fraud internally and externally with the South African Police Service against the staff member,” said Bawa.
She is accused of tampering with results for 13 years, allegedly charging students R2 000 per subject to inflate their marks captured on the internal system when they applied. The Daily News was alerted to the alleged fraud by one of her colleagues.
“I believe it is unfair on those students who have struggled and worked and paid for their hard work towards their studies. These fraudsters need to be exposed,” the source said.
The staff member accused of the fraud is known to the Daily News but cannot be named until she appears in court.
Bawa said the university became aware of the allegations when a staff member in the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics discovered that credits were added to a student’s academic record.
The whistle-blower then alerted the executive dean of the faculty.
Following an internal investigation, a number of anomalies - all related to the accused - emerged. These had since been corrected, said Bawa.
“The accused was then approached, her access to the academic records system was immediately suspended and steps were taken to formally suspend her. Although she resigned following her suspension, DUT has not accepted her resignation.
“The university will take the strongest action possible against such fraudulent activities,” said Bawa.
In an interview earlier this year, Lucky Ditaunyane, the spokesman for exam quality watchdog Umalusi, said it was straightforward to
verify matric results where tampering was suspected.
Accredited agencies like
LexisNexis Risk Management, MIE, Veri Source, V-Report, EMPS Pty Ltd and MarisIT could all provide verified matric results.
Daily News