The South African Nursing Council (SANC) has issued an urgent warning to employers, nurses and the public regarding fake SANC Registration Certificates, Annual Practising Certificates (APCs) and epaulettes (shoulder pieces used to distinguish rank).
The council said that fraudulent certificates of registration purporting to be SANC certificates as well as Annual Practicing Certificates are being duplicated and/or fraudulently created and openly sold to nurses and non-nurses.
The council is entrusted to set and maintain standards of nursing education and practice in South Africa, and is an autonomous, financially independent, statutory body operating under the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005). It is solely responsible for the issuing of registration certificates to duly qualified candidates, and it takes several measures to protect the authenticity of the documents.
Professor Ntombifikile Mtshali, Registrar and CEO of the SANC, said: “The sale of these copies of fraudulent certificates and epaulettes is a criminal offence and is very concerning, as the well-being of healthcare users is put at stake. The SANC is calling on anyone with information about this to contact us. All information will be handled in the strictest confidence.”
Email bgrobler@sanc.co.za or phone 012 420 1074.
Employers are reminded to always check the authenticity of employees’ certificates by consulting the SANC eRegister at: www.sanc.co.za/eregister
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