As reported by eNCA on 29 March 2019, lying on your CV will now land you in jail.
Individuals who are found guilty of fraudulently doctoring their CV could get fined, and even receive jail time of up to five years. The National Qualifications Amendment Bill was recently passed by the National Council of Provinces. According to South African Qualifications Authority CEO, Joe Samuels, people must present authentic qualifications, registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Samuels also stated that the new law applies not only to individuals, but also to institutions. Meaning, institutions who state that they are accredited but are not, can also be pursued by the law.
An authentic qualification is one that:
- is registered with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) ;
- is provided by an accredited institution;
- is lawfully accredited to the individual.
It is in the best interest of South African job applicants to be honest when submitting information on their CV, as in addition to receiving jail time or being fined, their names will also be added to a register for fraudulent qualifications. They will also not be able to open a business for the next ten years.
