News24.com | Calls grow for Mabuyane to quit over allegations of fraudulently registering for Master's programme

Opposition parties are calling for Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane to resign.

• Opposition parties intensify calls for Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane to resign following allegations of fraudulently registering for a Master's programme at the University of Fort Hare. 
• RISE Mzansi National Leader Songezo Zibi said it was unbecoming for a premier to conduct himself in the manner in which Mabuyane had. 
• While ActionSA said the fraud allegations reinforced the view that Premier Mabuyane was not fit to serve as Eastern Cape premier. 

Opposition parties are calling for Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane's head to roll over allegations that he fraudulently registered for a Master's programme at the University of Fort Hare.

This comes after News24 reported on Monday, that Mabuyane fraudulently registered for a Master's programme at the University of Fort Hare, which was later upgraded to a PhD candidacy despite him not meeting the minimum requirements.

RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said it was "unacceptable and unbecoming of a premier and senior public representative" to conduct themselves in the manner which Mabuyane had.

"A premier is supposed to lead by example, especially in a province with a history of persistent public sector corruption. Mabuyane cannot be trusted to lead the fight against corruption when he is implicated in such a shameful act of corruption himself," said Zibi.

He added that RISE Mzansi had also noted the stony silence from the ANC at national and provincial levels, which he said amounted to an abdication of its responsibility as a party in government.

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DA Eastern Cape leader in the provincial legislature, Nqaba Bhanga has urged Mabuyane to come clean about the details surrounding his research proposal to obtain the Master's degree and a PhD in Public Administration. 

Bhanga said:

ActionSA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson Athol Trollip said he had written to Mabuyane informing him that given the gravity of the allegations he faces, it would be sensible for him to resign immediately.

"The degree fraud allegations reinforce Premier Mabuyane is not fit to serve as Eastern Cape Premier as he has perpetually used his office for personal gain instead of serving the poorest in the province which has to battle high unemployment and a lack of service delivery," said Trollip.

The growing calls for the premier to step down come after a forensic report obtained by News24 concluded that the Eastern Cape premier's Master's degree was undeservedly and fraudulently obtained through a bogus research proposal that was put together for him by the academic staff at Fort Hare University.

READ | Oscar Mabuyane denies academic fraud, claims allegations have tainted his reputation

Having initially refused to respond to News24 on the matter, Mabuyane, following the publishing of the article, sent out a statement stating that he had initially elected not to respond to this issue in the media domain as he found it necessary to engage with law enforcement institutions, such as the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which is dealing with the matter.

In a statement on Monday evening, Mabuyane's spokesperson, Zuko Godlimpi, said that the premier was never awarded a postgraduate qualification by a university or any other institution of higher learning.

"Further to this, he has never applied or expressed an interest to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Fort Hare," reads the statement.

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Considering the recent developments, Godlimpi said this was a continued attack on Mabuyane.

"He is of the view that this is a witch-hunt as he cannot be blamed for the weakness in the internal control systems of the university," said Godlimpi.

Mabuyane has since instructed his legal advisors to consider these developments, including the forensic report referred to in the article, to take the matter through the courts.

Despite this, opposition parties such as ActionSA maintained that Mabuyane should "do the right thing and resign".