Tanzanian President John Magufuli has sacked nearly 10,000 civil servants for having fake education certificates.
He was responding to the release of a government report into fraudulent qualifications in the public sector.
The education minister said that some had been using their relatives’ school certificates, while others did not appear on official records at all.
President Magufuli has given those on the list until 15 May to resign or face legal action.
“These people occupied government positions but had no qualifications… they robbed us just like other common criminals,” Mr Magufuli said, urging officials to “name and shame” offenders.
“We have been working hard to create new jobs while there are people in government who hold fake degrees,” he added.
He has also asked newspapers to publish the names of everyone on the list.