By Johnathan Paoli
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring quality education by clamping down on bogus colleges.
During an interdepartmental oversight visit to eThekwini, Gondwe emphasised the importance of private higher education institutions operating within legal parameters and full compliance with registration and accreditation requirements.
“Some of the learners are the only hope for their families. Their parents invest in their education so that their child can be qualified and have a successful career tomorrow.
“Now, if a learner studies via a bogus college, they are effectively robbed of an opportunity to gain a legitimate qualification and employment opportunities. It is also robbing the student and their parents of hard-earned money,” Gondwe said in a statement.
The visit formed part of a two-day awareness campaign in the “university city”, a metro that hosts a significant student population and multiple institutions of higher learning, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban University of Technology and Mangosuthu University of Technology.
However, the city also faces challenges with the proliferation of unregistered private colleges and accredited institutions offering unapproved programmes.
Gondwe, alongside officials from her department, the Employment and Labour Department and Home Affairs, toured several private institutions in the city centre, particularly along Monty Naicker and West Streets.
Some institutions were found to be registered but were flagged for compliance issues, while others were operating without proper accreditation, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the qualifications they offer.
In collaboration with eThekwini municipality, the oversight visit focused on engaging with students and institutional representatives to address their concerns.
Many students raised issues regarding tuition payments and the lack of refunds when courses were later found to be unaccredited.
In response, Gondwe directed department officials to provide immediate assistance to affected students and ensure they received guidance on transferring to legitimate institutions.
Chairperson of the eThekwini municipality governance and human capital committee, Nkosenhle Madlala, reiterated the city’s responsibility to protect students seeking quality education.
“As a university city, we have a responsibility to ensure that the thousands of people who come to our city to access higher education register with recognised and legal institutions. Durban is home to several prestigious universities and TVET colleges, but the presence of unregistered institutions puts students at risk,” Madlala said.
Gondwe acknowledged the role of private higher education institutions in expanding access to learning opportunities, but said they must operate within legal and regulatory frameworks.
“They are allowed to operate, but they have to operate within lawful parameters, and that is what we are trying to ensure, that their operations are legal, are registered with us and that the programmes they’re offering are accredited by our quality assurance bodies, Umalusi, QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations), and the Council on Higher Education,” she said.
Gondwe also emphasised the importance of interdepartmental collaboration in tackling fraudulent institutions, saying that such efforts were crucial in safeguarding students’ futures and upholding the integrity of South Africa’s education system.
The campaign, which will continue with further oversight inspections in the Durban CBD, aims to root out illegitimate institutions while strengthening mechanisms for monitoring compliance among private colleges.
The deputy minister has encouraged students and parents to verify the accreditation status of institutions before enrolling to avoid falling victim to fraudulent colleges.
She also urged registered institutions to maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements to ensure they deliver quality education that aligns with national standards.
INSIDE EDUCATION
