Pretoria - Government says it has put several pre-employment verification processes in place for candidates, before the filling of a post.
These include criminal record checks, citizenship verification, financial and asset record checks, qualification verification and previous employment verification, said President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday.
He was responding to a question by Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota, who asked whether government had a clear policy on disqualifying applicants for misrepresenting their qualifications to key postings.
President Zuma said these regulations have been effective since 2008.
“In cases where an applicant deliberately misrepresents their qualifications or withheld damaging information, such an act can establish acceptable grounds for the rejection of an application. All Public Servants are required to abide by the Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by the Code of Conduct results in disciplinary action and possible dismissal.”
A department’s decision to reject an application on the aforesaid grounds must however conform to the concept of a fair administrative action as provided for in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act of 2000.
In addition, all applicants for posts in the public service are obliged to indicate on the application for employment form (Z83) whether they have been dismissed from previous employment or have been convicted of a criminal offence.
This information is verified through the compulsory verification checks undertaken by each department prior to appointment. The failure to honestly disclose may result in disqualification.
Matters such as the abuse of women, problematic tax affairs and the circumstances for leaving previous employment are considered during the aforesaid criminal record checks, financial and assets records checks and the previous employment verification.
Should a verification result in a negative finding, President Zuma said a department has to consider the relevance thereof to the person’s suitability for employment in a particular post taking into account the nature and relevance of the finding to the job duties and work environment in question.
Grievances or disputes arising from the recruitment process are dealt with by the affected departments, the Public Service Commission and through the relevant public sector bargaining councils. – SAnews.gov.za
