The crisis of fraudulent qualifications

THE persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of the problem is difficult to quantify, it is considered to be reaching “pandemic” levels, particularly in the public sector. The government introduced the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act in 2019, making it a criminal offence to misrepresent qualifications, punishable by up to five years in prison. Yet, the issue persists, undermining trust and capability in organisations. Numerous individuals have pretended to be qualified for high-profile positions, including top executives and directors of parastatals, with some major companies also affected. Once unsuitable people occupy positions of responsibility, their removal is challenging, and their performance rarely improves due to a lack of foundational skills. Their incompetence can severely affect…