Beware colleges offering police training courses

DURBAN Metro Police have said any college advertising it offered a Diploma in Policing could be charged.

The warning came after Sandton Technical College advertised courses in policing and traffic control on posters in uMlazi.

Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said no college was allowed to offer police training – this was only done by the police service.

He warned that colleges could be charged for this.

“We will charge them and take their college certificate away,” said Sewpersad.

Security

The Independent On Saturday found out from the Department of Higher Education that the college was not registered with the South African Security Sector Education and Training Authority (Sasseta) to offer any courses related to security.

A number of the college’s posters advertising diplomas in policing courses had been seen in uMlazi’s P and Z sections.

Director of registrations at the Department of Higher Education, Dr Shaheeda Essack, said the matter had been brought to their attention in January, and they shut down the college’s campuses in Rustenburg, Polokwane and Nelspruit.

“We have reported the matter to the Quality Council For Traders and Occupations (QCTO) for further investigation.

“This is after reporting the matter to Sasseta, who have said this doesn’t fall under its jurisdiction.”

Essack said they would also report to the QCTO’s the college’s activities in Durban.

“The ball is in the QCTO’s court, it’s up to them as well as the courts to decide what happens with this college.”

In an e-mailed response, the QCTO said its team was still investigating the matter. Once investigations were completed the team would report back and the QCTO would then communicate with key stakeholders.

Despite numerous attempts to get a comment from the college, they did not respond with comment by time of publication.

But when our reporter posed as a parent and contacted the Durban campus by phone, she was reassured that while its Rustenburg, Polokwane and Nelspruit campuses were shut down, the Durban campus would not be closed because everything was above board.

Accept

The woman on the other end of the telephone said even though academic activities in the policing course had started three weeks ago, they would accept the applicant student.

“You can still enrol for classes. Only one test has been written – I’m sure your child can catch up,” said the woman.

She said the course was for two years.

The woman said students who completed the first year would get a certificate in traffic management. Those who graduated from the second year, she said, would earn a diploma in policing.

The registration for the R18 000 course is R500 and an applicant student is expected to also pay a R2 500 deposit fee.