NQA launches fraudulent qualification hotline

The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) has launched a fraud hotline where the public and other stakeholders can report any fraudulent and unethical behaviour relating to qualifications.

This intervention was prompted by the increasing cases of qualifications fraud recorded by the NQA, which saw a record spike towards the end of 2014. At the time, the NQA recorded over 200 cases of suspicious qualifications which were submitted to the Authority for evaluation. The NQA handed over the cases to the Namibian Police after which close to 100 people were arrested and subsequently appeared in court.
The NQA views qualifications fraud as a critical national concern, which if left unabated can have devastating long term effects on the economy and the reputation of the country. Employers in particular have become victims of qualifications fraud as they inadvertently recruit people based on false claims to qualifications in the belief that they are suitable candidates for advertised positions.
In an effort to mitigate these negative effects, the NQA has introduced the fraud hotline (number 0800 411 411) as a critical intervention to pro-actively detect unethical activities and catch the culprits early on. The NQA is optimistic that the introduction of the fraud hotline will not only serve as a deterrent to fraud, but that it will promote a culture of ethical behaviour and non-tolerance towards qualifications fraud.
Primarily, the fraud hotline is an indication of the zero tolerance approach adopted by the NQA in dealing with qualifications fraud and in particular bringing the culprits to book.
The following are some of the cases/issues that can be reported through the NQA Fraud Hotline: False claims to qualifications, selling or buying of qualifications and any other suspected unethical activities involving qualifications.