Bill to put end to fake academic qualifications approved by Cabinet

Cabinet has approved the submission of a bill to parliament intended to stamp out fake qualifications and deal with people who lie about having academic certificates, degrees or diplomas, Communications Minister Mmamaloko Kubayi announced on Thursday.

Briefing media on Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Kubayi said the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Bill of 2016 will strengthen existing laws.

“It introduces measures to deal with issues of misrepresentation and imposes consequences on persons who misrepresent their qualifications or organisations that issue qualifications that are invalid.”

The bill was released for public comment by then higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande last year.

It compels higher education institutions to be registered with the National Qualifications Framework.

The bill followed a phenomenon whether private institutions were issuing invalid qualifications.

Over the past few years, there have been several instances in which politicians, government officials and the executives of state-owned companies have been found lying about their academic qualifications.

– African News Agency (ANA)