The South African Nursing Council (SANC) takes note of the concerns raised regarding the issuing of Annual Practice Certificates, as well as the other issues raised within the media in the last two weeks. 

The SANC reaffirms that it has put in place a wide range of short- to medium term improvement initiatives focused on improving the registration process for nurses and also for employers to note their registration. The SANC respects its members’ call for an electronic system and has already, as a long-term measure, initiated a systems transformation project in order to improve its Annual Renewal Licensing process thereby ensuring the provision of efficient, effective and secure service delivery to nursing practitioners and the public. The project has been and is currently underway. The SANC remains committed to ensuring that the final IT system will provide the required service while curtailing risks. Considering that a project of this magnitude takes time to achieve the desired results, the SANC is appealing for understanding from its members. 

The SANC reiterates that besides attending the SANC offices in person, the following methods of payment remain available:

	Direct payment at any FNB branch in the country
	In addition, in 2016 as in previous years, the SANC also undertook several outreach programmes from July to December 2016 in all nine provinces where practitioners could pay and receive their certificates immediately.

The SANC request the cooperation of its stakeholders and employers to be aware of and utilize the SANC’s effective e-Register facility to check the practitioner’s registration status while awaiting the physical certificate – the e-Register is official proof that a nurse has been registered with the SANC and we confirm to all employers that this facility suffices to confirm their annual registration. The e-Register is available on the SANC website at www.sanc.co.za/eRegister.htm 

The SANC notes with sadness the callous statements made by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in the media about the SANC’s client that collapsed while being served and regrets that DENOSA has, without facts or sensitivity published the matter so carelessly.

Firstly, the SANC has expressed its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the nurse who collapsed while being served at the service desk and unfortunately demised after emergency transfer to the hospital.

Ms Sizeni Mchunu, Acting Registrar of the SANC says: “The SANC, however, takes serious exception to the statements by DENOSA’s spokesperson, Sibongiseni Delihlazo about the SANC: “…this long and drawn-out process led to the death of one nurse”. The statement is devoid of any facts. The SANC categorically states that no person has ever passed away within the boundaries of its premises, and certainly not due to long queues or a long and drawn-out process. The onus is on DENOSA to produce documentary evidence supporting this false allegation made without establishing facts.

The SANC demands a public apology from DENOSA and an urgent retraction of the false statement made.

DENOSA has further, wrongfully, indicated that they have offered the SANC space in its offices in each province to assist with the registration process, and have also tried unsuccessfully to have a meeting with the SANC. The SANC would like DENOSA to provide the SANC with proof of the offer of office space as well as their unsuccessful request for a meeting on this matter, as our office has no record of either of these. 
The SANC is disappointed that DENOSA has felt the need to attack the SANC publicly and even more so without confirming their allegations. The SANC regards the statements made by DENOSA as very serious and malicious and should a formal public apology and retraction of the false allegations not be made within 24 hours of publication of this release, the SANC fully reserves its legal rights. 

The SANC’s omission to deal with all allegations made by DENOSA and the press does not constitute an admission or denial thereof and the SANC’s rights to address these allegations more fully at the appropriate stage or in the appropriate forum remains strictly reserved.”

ENDS

Issued by:

Mrs. Adri van Eeden
Senior Manager: Marketing and Communications
South African Nursing Council 
E-mail : avaneeden@sanc.co.za
Website: www.sanc.co.za 
Tel : 012 426-9542

Official Spokesperson and person to be quoted:

Ms S Mchunu
Acting Registrar and CEO: SA Nursing Council

For more information or to arrange for an interview with the Spokesperson, please contact Mrs. Adri van Eeden on Tel. (012) 426-9542 or email: avaneeden@sanc.co.za