KUGOMPO CITY – The court has dismissed an application for discharge brought by former Eastern Cape Health Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo, clearing the way for the defence to present its case.
Kupelo, a deputy director, appeared in the specialised commercial crimes court in Gqeberha on Wednesday, 22 April.
The long-standing spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Health Department is currently standing trial for fraud, forgery, and uttering related to an alleged fraudulent matric certificate he purportedly submitted when he joined the public sector in 2002.
Kupelo faces two counts of fraud, two counts of uttering, and one count of forgery. The charges stem from a 2020 skills and qualifications audit conducted by the Department of Health, which revealed that he allegedly did not possess a legitimate matric certificate.
The certificate he allegedly submitted reportedly belonged to someone else, Cinga Dyantyi.
The Hawks arrested Kupelo in April 2024, and he was granted R30,000 bail.
The state alleges that the fraudulent appointment resulted in financial prejudice exceeding R16 million in remuneration paid between 2002 and 2025.
Kupelo had applied for a discharge in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which allows an accused to be acquitted if the State has failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.
However, the prosecution successfully opposed the application, arguing that there is enough evidence for the matter to proceed.
The court agreed with the State and dismissed the application.
The case has now been postponed to 15 and 16 July, when Kupelo’s defence is expected to call its witnesses.
