Ex-cop sentenced for using fake matric certificate to join SAPS

A former police constable has been convicted and sentenced for fraud after it was discovered that he used a fake Grade 12 certificate to secure employment within the South African Police Service (SAPS), in Limpopo.

Eric Nyadzani Ravhura, 43, was found guilty by the Polokwane Specialized Commercial Crimes Court on 27 October 2025 for submitting a fraudulent qualification when applying for the 2020 Police Trainee Intake. At the time, Ravhura was serving as a Police Reservist and presented a fake certificate to meet the recruitment requirements. 

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Based on this false information, he was accepted, trained, and later permanently appointed as a Constable at Alldays SAPS. However, a verification process by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in June 2021 revealed that the certificate was not authentic.The SAPS consequently suffered financial losses due to training and salary expenses.

Following an investigation by the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit, Ravhura was arrested and charged with fraud.

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The court sentenced him on 3 November 2025 to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of R30 000, suspended for five years, on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Jan Scheepers welcomed the outcome, stressing that honesty and integrity remain core values of the SAPS. “We will continue to root out unethical conduct within our ranks,” he said.