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Industry matters
‘ Don’ t trust me, I’ m a doctor’
This recent headline in The Times made me think about the uphill battle our industry faces with unqualified people offering services for which they are not competent. The article went on to state that such people‘ will be named and shamed’.
By
Rory Macnamara
The South African Qualifications Authority( SAQA) has gazetted a draft national policy on the misrepresentation of qualifications to address what has now become an epidemic. It proposes that“ the names of people or organisations that have misrepresented their qualifications must be registered.”
Not sure if they realise the enormity of this task, but no one in the professions or trades can dispute that this has been a long time coming and must be welcomed as well as supported.
Our industries have been dogged by amateurs and charlatans that have done nothing but bring shame to industries at the expense of the qualified and professional people.
Such a move provides the opportunity for qualified people to have a means to report the charlatans, which will raise the standards of workmanship and bring professions and trades back to providing an equitable service, rather than worrying about unqualified persons.
Will such a move be without opposition— absolutely not! But those opposing it will in effect name and shame themselves. For too long, South Africa has been subjected to the protection of criminals at the expense of those who do right.
While the article alludes to senior politicians and business people who lied about their qualifications, the
problem goes down to the very heart of industries— the people who are at the rock face, forced to face crooked tenderers by people who are not qualified but who have claimed that they are.
Perhaps the policy should include those who appoint these unqualified people, because it clearly shows lack of attention to checking and double checking in a land like ours where respect, honesty, and decency seem not to be in the value system.
We all operate for the benefit of the consumer to ensure safe and healthy environments.
The next register should be for manufacturers and suppliers who knowingly bring non-compliant products into the country at the expense of the consumer— including those who specify and install non-compliant products. This could be quite a list, but it will certainly level the playing field. PA
“ The names of people or organisations that have misrepresented their qualifications must be registered.”
March 2017 Volume 23 I Number 1 www. plumbingafrica. co. za