FEATURE: The academic future’s of Educor college students remains uncertain

by | Sep 2, 2024 | News

The deregistration of Educor’s institutions has thrown the lives of countless students into chaos, forcing them to confront a grim future.

In an unprecedented and heart-wrenching move that left thousands of students reeling, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) announced the deregistration of four institutions owned by Educor, South Africa’s largest private education provider. 

The decision made public on March 22, 2024, via a government gazette by DHET’s Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi, has not only sent shockwaves through the education sector but also ignited a wave of anger and despair among those most affected—students and staff. 

Educor, a behemoth in the private education industry, operates well-known institutions such as Damelin, CityVarsity, Icesa City Campus, and Lyceum College. But behind its expansive reach and polished facade, a storm was brewing—one that has now left thousands of students like Bongani Sibanda in dire straits.  

Bongani Sibiya, stranded in Johannesburg with no way to return home to Rustenburg, faced the cold reality of eviction. “I couldn’t just go home without knowing what was happening with my studies,” he shared, frustration and desperation evident in his voice. His landlord, unsympathetic to his plight, showed no mercy. “I was evicted and ended up crashing at a friend’s place for a day,” Bongani recounted, a mixture of anger and helplessness colouring his words. 

Over 60 campuses nationwide, once bustling with hopeful students, now stand as symbols of broken promises. Beneath the company’s expansive portfolio of ten educational brands lay a series of compliance failures that have now unraveled, leaving thousands in a precarious situation. 

Kenny Diamond, a Damelin graduate, couldn’t hide his anger as he reflected on his time at the institution. “The decision to deregister should have come long ago,” he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Even though my qualification is recognized, the quality of teaching and learning was poor.” His words echoed the sentiments of many who had endured years of subpar education, only to see their worst fears realized. 

The shockwaves of Educor’s downfall didn’t stop with the students. Staff members, who dedicated years to these institutions, now find themselves in similarly dire straits.  

Ndumiso Mhlanga, an employee at one of the Educor colleges, described the dismal working conditions they endured. “It became the norm for us to receive our salaries very late—sometimes we were underpaid, or worse, not paid at all,” he revealed, his frustration palpable. “There was a lack of proper administrative support, and it felt like we were abandoned.” 

These labour issues only add to the already complex and dire situation, highlighting the profound human cost of Educor’s failures. On November 22, 2023, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) issued a statement expressing deep concern over the treatment of staff, particularly at Damelin College. Delayed payments, unaddressed grievances, and unjust contract terminations painted a bleak picture of an institution on the brink. 

The troubles for Educor began as early as 2020, when the DHET first noticed the group’s failure to submit its annual financial certificates and reports—a critical requirement for the continued registration of private education institutions.  

Despite repeated warnings, including a stern reprimand in 2022, Educor failed to comply with these obligations. The gravity of the situation unraveled in July 2023 when the DHET issued a notice of cancellation of registration, giving Educor until September 26, 2023, to lodge an appeal. 

In a bid to rectify the situation, Educor sought and was granted an extension until February 28, 2024. However, the group again failed to meet the deadline, leaving the DHET with no choice but to proceed with deregistration.  

On March 26, 2024, during a media briefing, the former Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, emphasized that the cancellation was not an abrupt decision but a consequence of ongoing non-compliance. Nzimande made it clear that the DHET had given Educor ample time to address the issues, but the group’s repeated failures left the department with no alternative and yet still requested another extension. 

For students like Momosa Kopi, the aftermath has been a nightmare. Momosa, a student from Damelin’s correspondence college, was fortunate to be transferred to another institution that recognized her credits. But not everyone was so lucky. Many students pursuing a direct Damelin qualification found themselves at a dead end, their academic dreams shattered. 

The sudden deregistration has profoundly impacted students, leaving them angry, confused, and uncertain about their future.  

Educor was required to inform all enrolled students within 14 days of the cancellation notice and assist them in finding alternative institutions. But for students like Bongani Sibanda, these promises rang hollow.  

Bongani Sibiya, a second-year student whose registration was cancelled, had often heard whispers that Educor colleges operated like fly-by-night institutions. Now, facing the harsh reality, his anger is palpable. “By the time I wanted to transfer, I thought about all the money I had spent and couldn’t bring myself to just let it all go,” he lamented. 

Asive Dlanjwa, spokesperson for the SA Union of Students, clarified that students who obtained their qualifications from an institution during the period of accreditation should not be affected. He explained that if the institution was legally registered and offered certified and updated courses that met the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), students who completed their qualifications within that timeframe should not face any issues. 

In an interview with Wits Vuvuzela, Kutloano Umanji, a recent IT graduate, explained that despite the Department of Higher Education announcing the deregistration earlier this year, students who completed their courses in 2023 were surprisingly still allowed to graduate in May 2024. 

Umanji revealed that among her peers whose studies were interrupted, none of those directly enrolled in Damelin courses were able to transfer their credits and continue their studies elsewhere. Some students unknowingly took non-accredited and outdated courses, only discovering this when they faced difficulties in transferring their credits. As she put it: “most of them started all over or changed to a new course”.  

She reflected on her time at the institution, noting that it was not the best experience. She cited instances where they would randomly not have lecturers, leaving students without academic guidance. Moreover, she felt that the institution only addressed student concerns when they were pushed to do so. 

Despite receiving his academic transcript, Bongani faced a major setback when he couldn’t transfer his credits to another college. Advised to either start a new course or find another institution offering the same qualification, he found the task nearly impossible. “I’ve decided to give my studies another chance in the 2025 academic year,” he shared, a mix of determination and frustration in his voice. 

During the media briefing, the former minister of DHET highlighted that his department has in the past received numerous complaints from students against the Educor institutions. 

Many of those issues till today remain unsolved. Sibiya told Wits Vuvuzela that he gave up on pursuing reimbursement for his fees because it was nearly impossible to follow up, even when the institutions were still operational. 

The Department of Higher Education has also offered to assist students from Educor’s colleges in finding alternative institutions where they can continue and complete their qualifications. 

FEATURED IMAGE: The four Educor brands that were deregistered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Photo: Salim Nkosi

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Timeline: the SRC campaign so far

by | Aug 22, 2015 | News

On Friday the University of the Witswatersrand released a statement around the suspension of students and the exclusion of the Wits EFF society. This comes after a disruption that was initiated by the Wits EFF at the SRC debate which ended in a physical altercation between parties. It was the start of an unusual campaign season.

This year four parties registered to run for the 2016 SRC elections these included the Wits Economic Freedom Fighters, Project W, the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) and Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO).

 

Cancelled SRC debate

Campaigning started off with a bang this year when the annual Student Representative Council (SRC) debate was cancelled after a fight broke out between parties.

Members of the Wits EFF filled the Great Hall stage dancing and chanting “No SRC!” The party continued to disrupt the proceedings of the debate.

The organisers, campus control head of investigations Michael Mahada, and campaign managers then went backstage for an emergency meeting. The group then came out and announced that the debate was cancelled. Chief electoral officer, Thembi Dlamini explained that the cancellation was based on a “collective decision”.

 

Circus Flop

Then more confusion hit at what was supposed to be the first campaigning circus for the year. Only the PYA and a few Wits EFF candidates arrived at the FNB building on Wednesday. According to PYA’s Twitter account, supporters were requested to meet at 1:20pm at the FNB building, for an official election circus. But on arrival it seemed that there was no organisation for the event and only a few PYA candidates handing out pamphlets.

A handful of PYA members were handing out pamphlets encouraging students to vote for their party. When asked, the candidates told those that gathered that they were waiting on the party’s officials and the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC), none of whom showed up. PYA representatives told Wits Vuvuzela that, “It seems as though only Project W were made aware of the postponement, because it was only the EFF and the PYA that prepared for today’s circus.”

What seemed at first, to be a defiance of the cancellation to those who knew about it turned into a simple misunderstanding and miscommunication on the part of the candidates and their parties.

 

 

The show goes on with circus at the Matrix

On Thursday the first organised and official campus circus was held at the Matrix on Wits East campus. Students were encouraged to question candidates on issues surrounding party mandates and burning topics related to the university. While at one point the EFF caused a bit of a disruption, all in all the circus went off with no major incidents.

Suspension of Wits EFF and students involved in debate disruption

On Friday the EFF were not at the second circus that was held at the Wits Medical campus. That evening at 6:30pm a statement was emailed to the Wits student body from the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand. The document gave comment on the decisions to suspend the Wits EFF as a society and said some of the students involved in the fighting at the Tuesday debate would be suspended.

 

 

 

 

Kudu gone buck

by | May 30, 2013 | Featured 1, News

 

Student trying to load Kudu bucks: Photo:Dineo Bendile.

Student trying to load Kudu bucks:
Photo:Dineo Bendile.

Already cash-strapped students are frustrated by Kudu Buck machines they say often don’t work on campus. This week one student on Twitter even suggested a strike.

The machines are used to load money in exchange for Kudu Bucks, the official Wits currency which allows students to use printing facilities, access dining halls and use medical facilities.

Four weeks ago Ray Mahlaka, a journalism student, was left disappointed by the system.

After being ill for a couple of days he decided to go to Campus Health to see a nurse.

“I had a cold and felt dizzy on the day. I was dying. I was knocking on heaven’s door,” said Mahlaka.

The fee for clinic services at Campus Health is R20 for res students and R50 for all other students. Mahlaka went to the Kudu bucks terminal between the matrix and Umthombo buildings where he attempted to load R50. He tried to load the note twice, with no success.

On his third attempt, the machine accepted the money but did not reflect it on his balance.

“So I basically loaded money nowhere,” he said.

It was his last R50 and he could not go to the clinic.

The student went to the Integrated Campus Management (ICAM) offices where he was told the money would only reflect after two weeks.

Inefficiency of the machines

In response to the inefficiency of the machines, ICAM manager Giles Watermeyer, told Wits Vuvuzela: “Our bill acceptors have not been accepting the new bills properly. The units have been rejecting perfectly valid new RSA notes.”

One of the biggest complaints against the system is its inability to cater for the average student’s financial situation. Many students don’t have a lot of money in the middle of the month.

Almost two years ago the old kudu bucks machines, which were able to load both coins and notes, were replaced with machines that only allow users to load notes.

According to Watermeyer, the changes were made in 2010 in consultation with the SRC. The transition from coins to notes was phased in over a year to ensure users were given enough time to adjust.

Some students say they have had to borrow money to meet the minimum amount of R10.

The Wits Vuvuzela team spotted a small group of students trying to load money into a machine near the Matrix. One of them, Xolani Mangqu 2nd year BSc, struggled to load his R10 note into the slot, as the machine kept rejecting the money.

Implications of notes on students
Mangqu said sometimes he goes to an internet café off campus to print notes and assignments, either because the machines are not working on campus or because he doesn’t have R10.

“[They should] probably also try to cater for coins so that we can also load from coins going up to notes, because you cannot always have notes,” said the student.

When Wits Vuvuzela asked Watermeyer about the change from coins to notes and if he realised the implications for students he said,

“Coins were removed from the Kudu Bucks terminals in 2010 because coins do not hold enough value. They are expensive to process due to their weight and volume.”

By Leigh-Ann Carey and Dineo Bendile