EC institution probes fraudulent admissions
Student leaders, lecturers accused of charging desperate applicants up to R1,000 for forms
Buffalo City College is investigating allegations some students were fraudulently admitted despite not meeting the minimum entry requirements.
The allegations of academically undeserving students being admitted ahead of students with better marks resulted in chaos erupting on Thursday — causing administration delays at the East London campus.
This was after the EFF Student Command brought the process to a standstill, with EFFSC Buffalo City branch chair Nasiphi Picane alleging the process was flawed.
Among the allegations are that some students with only an N3 qualification were accepted to study towards a national accredited technical education diploma (Nated) despite the requirement for the Nated programme being N4 or a matric certificate.
Addressing prospective students in front of the main campus in Southernwood, Picane said:” We have found out that the space was filled by people who do not meet the minimum admission requirements.
“All we say is the process must be fair.”
While the EFFSC demanded proper processes be followed, Lucas Loate, executive director of Loate Foundation, which he said has a memorandum of understanding with BCC to place academically deserving students from Buffalo City Metro, said they had also met with management on Monday.
This was to highlight allegations of students paying R500 to R1,000 for application forms, which are supposed to be free.
Loate, who is also the Sanco BCM regional convener, said they presented witnesses to management who testified how they were allegedly made to cough up the money before being placed.
“We asked them how it is possible they would be interested in admitting someone with Grade 11, overlooking those who have completed
Grade 12,,” he said.
“We feel there is something wrong going on there.”
Loate said they wanted the college to introduce an online registration process from next semester to ensure the process was fair to every prospective student.
Loate said when allegations of prospective students being asked to pay for application forms first surfaced in 2019, the civil society movement investigated.
“We raised this with management last year and they left the burden of proof on us.
“At least eight students came forward and we took those students to the management,” he said, adding certain student leaders were suspected of working with lecturers in defrauding the desperate prospective students.
A student who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted said in her class of 27 not one was admitted for the Nated programme.
“I applied and I meet the requirements, but I was not admitted,” she said.
Another said only five from her class of 25 were admitted to do a Nated programme.
College principal Dharamchand Singh did not reply to questions, but confirmed they had launched an investigation into the allegations.
“It has come to the attention of the college management that there are fraudulent activities taking place with regard [to] gaining access to study at Buffalo City TVET College.”
He said the college was unaware of any student admitted without the minimum requirements.