MPUMALANGA education department head Faith Sithole was fired on Tuesday for her role in the province’s 1998 matric exam scandal. Education MEC Craig Padayachee said in a statement he decided to terminate Sithole’s services with immediate effect after months of detailed analysis of her performance both before and during the scandal. Sithole was initially suspended in June last year on suspicion that she was involved in a criminal conspiracy to fraudulently boost the province’s matric exam pass rate by 20%, increasing the average from 52% to 72%. The scam, apparently devised to win political and professional glory, saw 7000 pupils who should have failed issued with matric certificates. Another 2000 pupils were also incorrectly issued with university exemptions.