Deputy minister of higher education Mimmy Gondwe leads campaign against bogus colleges

“We’ve had two very successful days. We’ve inspected several colleges, ensuring they are registered and offering accredited programmes. However, some buildings do not meet health and safety requirements, and we remain concerned about this. The city of eThekwini has committed to following up on the issues once we leave,” she said. 

KwaZulu-Natal, which has the second-largest concentration of students in the country after Gauteng, has been particularly affected by bogus colleges. Durban’s inner city has been a problem area for such institutions.

Chairperson of eThekwini municipality’s governance and human capital committee Nkosenhle Madlala emphasised the city’s responsibility to ensure students attend legitimate and recognised institutions.

“As a university city, we have a responsibility to ensure the thousands of people who come to our city to access higher education register with recognised and legal institutions. Durban is home to several prominent universities and private colleges, and it’s crucial we safeguard the future of the students,” said Madlala. 

During the campaign, officials found some private colleges had registration issues and students raised concerns about exorbitant fees and a lack of refunds.

Gondwe instructed the department of higher education and training to assist students facing challenges with institutions.

“The role of private higher education institutions is crucial, but they must operate within lawful parameters. They must be registered with the department, and the programmes must be accredited by quality assurance bodies such as Umalusi, QCTO, and the Council on Higher Education,” she said. 

In October 2021 the department identified 89 bogus private institutions operating across the country.

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