Government to help job seekers by relaxing rules for certified documents

Certified documents will now be valid for six months - instead of three - for people wanting to apply for government jobs.

Following pressure on social media, as of Tuesday the presidency said all government departments had been told to stop the practice of requiring documents that had been certified within the past three months.

“The government has recognised that the practice to date hampers job seekers in the current economic climate in South Africa, and that there is a need to reduce the burden on job seekers to submit," said Khusela Diko, President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson.

“This change will also reduce the workload that the certification of documents creates for police personnel, who will now be able to devote more time to their core function of ensuring that South Africans are and feel safe.” 

This change does not replace the personnel suitability checks set out in the public service regulations of 2016, which stipulate that an executive authority must subject an employee or candidate for employment to personnel suitability checks.

Diko said the government encouraged private companies to also assess their processes and procedures that may hinder South Africans in their search for jobs.

“ ... the government recognises that this consideration must be balanced with the need for suitability and integrity checks,” Diko said.

The move was met with mixed reactions on social media.