Tanzania sacks 9,900 civil servants over 'fake degrees'

President John Magufuli

Tanzanian President John Magufuli Friday ordered the immediate dismissal of more than 9,900 civil servants after a nationwide verification of academic credentials uncovered workers with forged school and college certificates.

The crackdown on fake degree holders comes after another purge launched in March last year discovered more than 19,700 "ghost workers" on the East African nation's public sector payroll.

"We have been working hard to create new jobs while there are people in government who hold fake degrees," Magufuli said after receiving a report on academic fraud in the civil service.

Magufuli ordered officials to "name and shame" wrongdoers by publishing a list of all civil servants with forged academic qualifications.

"These people occupied government positions but had no qualifications ... they robbed us just like other common criminals," he said. Magufuli said the audit had also found that the academic records of more than 1,500 civil servants were used by multiple people.