By Zuko Komisa
How forgiving is the SA job market to people with criminal records?
Having a criminal record can frequently seem to be a barrier to finding employment, particularly given that many employers run background checks on applicants.
It is important to look up your criminal history. Make sure you are familiar with your record and look for any mistakes.
If at you find errors in your criminal record, you should get your criminal record sealed.
Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke to Linda Thahane, Director of Jotela Mtika Consulting spoke about the various scenario circumstance people have found themselves with the law as far as criminal records are concerned.
LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE:
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How criminal records affect the job market
“There is no law that states a person with a criminal record can not be hired or replaced in a job, as Jotela Mtika Consulting we company that looks at criminal record clearances and expungement. For example, a person can say I have a criminal record, the first thing we do is to as that person to approach a police station a provide their fingerprints, once a report has been released we will be able to see if a person has a conviction or a pending case.”
Conviction vs a pending case
“If a person has a pending case, the SAP69i is on R75 and is only assigned at the police station, it takes 3 weeks to process the fingerprints, and it will indicate the case number, the relevant court where the matter was processed, the accused and what actually happened, or whether the case is awaiting trial. If it is a conviction, it will state the case number, and the sentence in court as well as information on special conditions. “
The vetting process
“All companies in South Africa take their candidates through a vetting process, which means every company can tell if you have a case or not. When it comes to fines people need to know what is the consequence of paying them, whether at a roadblock or in court. “
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