By: Lerato Mutlanyane

Following the recent social media spat and allegations of fake qualifications against embattled CENTLEC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Malefane Sekoboto, background screening and vetting company Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE) has confirmed the legitimacy of his educational credentials.

Earlier this month, a public dispute erupted after a social media post accused Sekoboto of falsifying his academic qualifications. Patricia Morgan-Mashale - the “whistleblower” who openly accused Sekoboto of fabricating his qualifications on Facebook – further claims the CEO allegedly secured his position at the power utility using fraudulent qualifications.

“Sekoboto, the CEO of Centlec, is a huge scammer who used bogus certificates to get hired as an electrical engineer throughout his career (sic). He genuinely took the position that should have been held by a qualified individual,” the post read in part.

Contrary to Mashale’s claims, Sekoboto’s qualifications have been cleared up and confirmed as legitimate. This is according to reputable vetting company MIE on behalf of the Central University of Technology (CUT).

In response to a request by Journal News for verification of Sekoboto’s educational credentials, Mzwakhe Maduna, who works in the enquiries office at MIE, confirmed that Sekoboto indeed holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, a BTech in Electrical Engineering, as well as a BTech in Project Management from the Central University of Technology (CUT).

This publication further established the authenticity of Sekoboto’s Master’s Degree qualification, which he obtained in 2019 from the Da Vinci Business School. Samantha Naidoo from the school’s registry office confirmed that the Centlec CEO completed a Master of Science in the Management of Technology and Innovation.

The two confirmations echoed Centlec’s acting spokesperson, Tseliso Leba’s sentiments, who squarely refuted Mashale’s spurious claims, dismissing them as nothing but an attempt to discredit the CEO’s public image.

Leba stated that, despite Mr. Sekoboto’s 22 years of service with the utility, Centlec can say “unequivocally” that the allegations are false and represent a deliberate attempt to tarnish his name and reputation.

“We can confirm that Mr. Sekoboto holds extensive qualifications and has consistently proven to be an asset to both Centlec and the broader academic community.

“His publication of two journal articles during his PhD studies further attests to his expertise, with these works accessible on reputable scholarly platforms,” concluded Leba.