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

Deputy minister of higher education and training Dr Mimmy Gondwe says obtaining qualifications from unregistered institutions of higher learning robs students of employment opportunities.

“Bogus colleges are robbing young people of their future by denying them opportunities to gain employment due to students obtaining qualifications from unregistered institutions,” said Gondwe.

She was speaking during a two-day awareness campaign in Durban aimed at addressing the growing issue of unregistered and non-accredited colleges.

The campaign, a collaboration between Gondwe’s office and other departments, highlighted the dangers of attending the institutions, which offer qualifications that are often not recognised by employers and other educational bodies.

Over two days, Gondwe and her team visited at least 10 colleges, inspecting their registration status with the department of higher education and training and ensuring they offered accredited programmes.

While Gondwe expressed satisfaction with the progress made, she acknowledged concerns regarding the safety standards of some buildings housing the 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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