Students concerned over de-registration of institutions

Local students have been left in limbo and fearing that their educational future is hanging in the balance, after two Pietermaritzburg institutions were de-registered by the Department of Higher Education.

This follows an announcement by Minister of Higher Education Dr Blade Nzimande on Tuesday.

Damelin and ICESA, being two of the four institutions owned by Educor, were de-registered on July 26, 2023, for allegedly failing to provide financial statements and comply with regulations.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Dr Blade Nzimande said four institutions “failed to submit their annual financial statements and the tax clearance certificate for the 2021 and 2022 years”.

“The four Educor institutions were required to lodge an appeal with the minister before September 26, 2023,” said Nzimande.

The minister said the colleges requested an extension for their appeal, which was due on February 28.

However, despite being granted the extension, the organisations still asked for a further extension.

According to students who spoke to The Witness, some students are attempting to transfer to a different college but if they do so, they would lose all of the credits they had earned during their first year of study.

“Communication between students and Damelin College has not been good.

“We have been told at this point to continue with our studies until the end of the year.

“However, that is all we know for now,” they said.

The students said that second- and third-year students have been left in the dark over whether they will graduateornot.

This comes after they heard they would not be credited for any of their studies by the institution.

When The Witness visited the Pietermaritzburg Damelin Campus yesterday, it appeared to be operating as normal.

One parent, who did not want to be named, said she brought her daughter to enroll yesterday, knowing that the college was being de-registered.

“We were told that they are not allowed to register students for diplomas and degrees.

“However, short courses are open for registration,” she said.

She said after the news broke, she has been hesitant to pay the registration fees.

When The Witness visited the ICESA City Campus in Langalibalele Street, it was closed and the door had been chained with a lock.

On the door, were instructions for students who had any enquiries to call Damelin College and “See Bheki from Finance for NSC results”.

The Witness did not receive feedback from Educor despite many attempts to contact the company.