JUST THE MEDICINE FOR QUALIFICATION FRAUDSTERS

THE state’s initiative to impose substantial fines, arrests and prosecutions, including imprisonment, for individuals who have falsified their qualifications deserves praise as a significant step towards penalising those involved in alleged fraudulent activities. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to authorise the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Amendment Act. Although the bill was passed into law in August 2019, its enforcement was postponed until Ramaphosa officially declared October 13, 2023, as the date it would take effect. The enactment of this bill comes in response to recent incidents where individuals who misrepresented their qualifications were exposed on social media. One such case involved a TikTok sensation known as “Matthew Bongani Lani”, who was publicly exposed for falsely posing as a medical doctor. The Gauteng Department of Health filed a…