Siphokazi Vuso|Published
Questions over DA Ward 66 candidate Sebastian Petersen’s academic qualifications have sparked a political row, with the Patriotic Alliance challenging the credentials attributed to him ahead of the local government elections.
Petersen has denied misrepresenting his qualifications and says a LinkedIn profile containing disputed educational information was neither created nor controlled by him. He has accused his political opponents of trying to discredit him.
Qualifications allegations against Sebastian Petersen
The allegations were raised in a complaint to the DA by Patriotic Alliance (PA) strategic political adviser Grant Pascoe, who questioned discrepancies between qualifications attributed to Petersen in public statements and those listed on his LinkedIn profile.
“[Petersen] is asking the public to trust him with political office. Yet serious discrepancies have emerged between the qualifications he has publicly claimed and those listed on his LinkedIn profile,” Pascoe said. According to Pascoe, Petersen had referred to Milpark College, while his LinkedIn profile listed Damelin.
But Petersen disputed qualifications attributed to him on a LinkedIn account, saying it was neither created nor controlled by him.
Pascoe added: “[Petersen] referred to Cape College of Theology, while LinkedIn lists Cape Theological Seminary. He referred to Trinity College and Seminary, while LinkedIn lists Moriah Theological Seminary in Indonesia."
He also questioned the listing of two Bachelor of Arts qualifications from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), which he said had no accompanying dates.
Petersen responds to LinkedIn profile claims
Responding to questions, Petersen said he was aware of the allegations, which he said stemmed from a social media post questioning his theological education and use of the title “Dr."
He said he had undertaken theological studies at various colleges and seminaries as part of his preparation and development as a minister of the Gospel, including Cape College of Theology, later renamed Cape Theological Seminary, and Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary in the United States. He said that while theological qualifications did not always fall under the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) or the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), it does not mean that a person did not study at the institution, or that the education or qualification is automatically "bogus".
“There is also material being circulated concerning a LinkedIn profile containing educational information that I did not create or put there. In particular, I did not study at the Indonesian institution referred to in the material being circulated,” he said.
"I also want to be clear that I do not claim to have completed a degree at the University of the Western Cape. I explored the Recognition of Prior Learning process but did not complete the programme.”
Petersen also rejected suggestions that he had confused Milpark College with Damelin regarding his financial services qualification. “I studied at Damelin College, and later we switched to Milpark College, which was under the same company,” he said. He said his academic record confirmed that he obtained an NQF Level 5 qualification in Financial Services: Wealth Management through Milpark College.
DA metro chairperson JP Smith said Petersen had undertaken theological, religious and leadership studies over several years but had not submitted these as the basis for his DA candidacy. He said the qualification submitted during the candidate application process was his NQF Level 5 qualification.
“[Petersen] was selected as a candidate based on political experience, leadership, knowledge of government and years of public service,” Smith said. Pascoe said the DA had not responded to his complaint. “The DA claims they have the best vetting process for their candidates, and somehow these candidates keep on slipping through,” he said.
PA mayoral candidate Cheslyn Daniels said Petersen’s denial had not resolved the questions raised in the complaint.
"The DA cannot demand accountability from everyone else and protect its own candidates from scrutiny. Cape Town voters deserve answers before they vote,” Daniels said.
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