Unusual sentence for fake radiographer

Ex-Bay woman sentenced to 2,000 hours’ periodical imprisonment for ‘myriad of lies, grand deception’

An Eastern Cape woman who faked her radiography qualification was sentenced to 2,000 hours’ periodical imprisonment on World Radiography Day.

Handing down sentence in the Gqeberha commercial crimes court yesterday, magistrate Lionel Lindoor said it brought him no joy to sentence Asisipho Mbekela, but found the timing of it to be ironic.

Mbekela was found guilty on three charges of fraud and two of forgery in August 2022.

“I found it ironic that when I switched on the television [on Wednesday] I learnt it was World Radiography Day,” Lindoor said.

“To me it is ironic that I must now pass down sentence on [Mbekela].”

He said the offences she committed by falsifying her radiography qualification were severe enough for her to be handed the unusual sentence.

Finding that Mbekela, 27, had not taken the court into her confidence by testifying during her trial as to why she had done it, Lindoor found that her actions had been tantamount to a systematic scheme which took a great deal of planning.

“[Mbekela] told a myriad of lies and employed grand deception to fool many people, including her own family,” he said.

“She had ample opportunities to desist, but continued.”

Despite overwhelming evidence against her and after being convicted, Mbekela had continued to maintain innocence and had taken no responsibility or shown any remorse.

The single mother of one who now lives in East London worked at Livingstone Hospital for six months before she was found out.

The court found that she had intentionally misrepresented her qualifications when she applied for a radiography position with the Eastern Cape department of health.

Mbekela, who was enrolled at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), failed her final year in 2015 and did not receive a national diploma in radiography: nuclear medicine, but applied for the position using falsified documents.

Mbekela claimed she had been diagnosed with depression and that a change in lecturers had negatively affected her performance.

Further evidence presented during the trial included details of Mbekela’s participation in the graduation ceremony when one of her former lecturers, Carolynn Lackay, told the court that during an April 2016 graduation ceremony, she had heard the dean of the faculty announce Mbekela’s name for her to go on stage and be capped as one of the graduates.

Lackay said she had been shocked as she knew she had not passed the year and after double-checking the autumn 2016 graduation booklet she had found Mbekela’s name was not there.

After the ceremony, Mbekela disappeared.

At the time of application to the provincial health department, the department was reportedly unaware that Mbekela was not a qualified radiologist and Mbekela was offered employment on a contract basis as a radiographer doing community service.

She assumed duties at Livingstone Hospital on March 1 2016 and falsely indicated that she had obtained the qualification in 2015.

When the deception was discovered on September 20 2016, Mbekela was immediately dismissed.

Further evidence by state witnesses, accepted by Lindoor, included that many people’s lives had been at risk by Mbekela performing nuclear medical procedures.

“The services delivered were substandard, unsafe and dangerous,” Lindoor said.

Lindoor said he had considered various forms of sentencing, including a fine, a wholly suspended sentence, direct and periodical imprisonment and correctional supervision.

He said considering the seriousness of the crimes, a suspended sentence would not be appropriate and correctional supervision would not protect the interests of the community.

“I am satisfied [Mbekela] is one of those people who should be removed from society,” Lindoor said.

Considering the contents of a social worker’s report submitted to court, Lindoor found that in the interests of Mbekela’s toddler son it would be more appropriate for Mbekela to serve a periodical sentence.

He sentenced her to 2,000 hours, which she must spend at the East London Correctional Facility.

Mbekela was ordered to be at the centre on November 17 at 4pm, when the department of correctional services would inform her what time she must hand herself over every Friday for almost 10 months.

Lindoor said she would serve about 36 hours each weekend before being released on the Sunday afternoon.