Systems in place to guard against dishonesty - Zuma

Johannesburg - The public service has a system in place to disqualify those who misrepresent their qualifications or withhold damaging information, President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.

"In cases where an applicant deliberately misrepresented their qualifications or withheld damaging information, such an act can establish acceptable grounds for the rejection of an application," Zuma said in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota.

"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," Zuma said.

Lekota inquired whether government had a clear policy on disqualifying those appointed to key posts who had misrepresented qualifications, or withheld damaging information such as their tax affairs.

Zuma said departments had to conduct pre-employment verifications before an appointment or filling a post was effected.

All applicants for posts in the public service were obliged to indicate on the application form whether they had been dismissed from previous employment or 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," he said.

On Monday, African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe said in a statement that party stalwart Pallo Jordan had resigned from Parliament and apologised to the ANC after reports that his qualifications were false.

Jordan had also offered to resign from the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC and from the ANC.