{"id":858574,"date":"2026-04-28T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=858574"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:01:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:01:29","slug":"legal-warning-to-anyone-lying-on-their-cvs-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/858574\/legal-warning-to-anyone-lying-on-their-cvs-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning to anyone caught lying on their CVs in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A legal expert has reminded those looking to work in South Africa of the legal consequences of lying on their CVs, which range from workplace disciplinary action to criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act<\/a> into law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laws allow for the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to establish and maintain separate registers for professional designations, misrepresented qualifications and fraudulent qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to these new registers\u2014which will effectively \u2018name and shame\u2019 individuals found to hold fraudulent qualifications\u2014the act also introduces harsh consequences for those caught lying about their achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the law, those found to have falsely or fraudulently claimed to possess a qualification or part-qualification could be fined or imprisoned for a period not exceeding five years, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following this, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Further Amendment Bill was introduced last year, with the public consultation completed at the end of September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bill provides for the formulation of criteria for evaluating foreign employees and qualifications, including online education programs that meet specific requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A provision was made for the referral of qualifications to SAQA for verification or evaluation, and for the referral of fraudulent qualifications to the relevant professional body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on the amendments, in an interview with CapeTalk<\/a>, labour law attorney Paula Phukuje warned that many job seekers underestimate the risks when trying to make themselves appear more competitive in a tough labour market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phukuje explained that even mild exaggeration can backfire. She said while candidates may be tempted to \u201cpolish up\u201d their experience, it can become a problem once they are in the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an employee cannot deliver on what was claimed, employers may treat it as a competence issue, triggering probation reviews or poor performance processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the more serious concern is outright dishonesty. According to Phukuje, one of the most common forms of CV fraud involves falsified qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers must strengthen verification processes<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Paula Phukuje, Labour Law Attorney and Specialist at Fairbridges Wertheim Becker.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Candidates frequently claim degrees or diplomas they do not have, and in some cases even create fake certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted how dangerous this can be in certain professions. For example, unqualified individuals working as teachers, lecturers, or even legal practitioners pose serious risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomeone who\u2019s supposed to have the necessary qualification, and they don\u2019t, that can be dire prejudice,\u201d she said, and added that such cases are increasingly being uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue is particularly severe in roles that require a high level of trust and competence, such as financial management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere someone is put in a position of trust, such as dealing with finances, it\u2019s necessary for us to escalate to even criminal offences,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these cases, regulatory bodies may also become involved to prevent further harm. Phukuje stressed that CV fraud is not just a workplace issue but a criminal one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phukuje also advised employers not to wait for damage to occur before taking action. Even if an employee performs well, dishonesty alone can justify dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the legal and professional risks, Phukuje also pointed to the real-world dangers of CV fraud in critical professions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t trust someone if they\u2019ve lied about something so material,\u201d she said, and warned that in roles involving safety or care, the consequences can be severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mitigate these risks, she advised employers to strengthen their verification processes. This includes obtaining consent from candidates to conduct background checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the individual is really hesitant, that is already a red flag,\u201d she said. While such checks may come at a cost, they are far cheaper than dealing with the fallout of a fraudulent hire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A legal expert has reminded those looking to work in South Africa of the legal consequences of lying on their CVs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":858575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[853,25293],"class_list":["post-858574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-south-africa","tag-the-national-qualifications-framework-amendment-act"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858574"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":858593,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858574\/revisions\/858593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}