Magufuli made the announcement on state television after an investigative task force found that 9,932 government workers presented fake qualifications when they were employed.

The president said the dismissed civil servants would have to defend themselves in court.

“They are thieves like any other thieves. … You cannot perform if you don’t have deserving qualifications,’’ Magufuli said.

About 3,000 other civil servants were suspended while their certificates were being verified.

The task force investigates the educational certificates of 435,000 civil servants throughout the East African nation.  (dpa/NAN)