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Local – Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has warned students and parents about bogus colleges operating in Durban, saying these institutions are robbing young people of their futures and draining families of their hard-earned money.
Speaking during her two-day Bogus Colleges Awareness campaign, Gondwe said students who attend unregistered institutions risk walking away with qualifications that hold no value in the job market.
“Some of the learners are the only hope for their families. Their parents invest in their education so that their child can be qualified and have a successful career.”
“Now, if a learner studies via a bogus college, they are effectively robbed of an opportunity to gain a legitimate qualification and employment opportunities,” she said.
KwaZulu-Natal, the second-largest student population after Gauteng, has become a hotspot for unregistered colleges.
Many of these institutions are either entirely illegal or are registered but offer unaccredited programmes. The growing number of these colleges, particularly in Durban’s inner city, has become a serious concern for government officials.
The campaign is a joint effort by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Department of Labour, Home Affairs, and the eThekwini Municipality. The departments are working to educate the public and clamp down on illegal operators.
Cllr Nkosenhle Madlala, Chairperson of the Municipality’s Governance and Human Capital Committee, said Durban’s status as a “university city” comes with a responsibility to ensure students are protected.
“Durban is a university city because it is home to UKZN, Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, and numerous TVET colleges, as well as several private institutions of higher learning.”
“As a university City, we have a responsibility to ensure that the thousands of people who come to our City to access higher education register with recognised and legal institutions,” Madlala said.
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The Role and Responsibility of Private Colleges
Gondwe and other officials visited several private colleges along Monty Naicker and West Street in the Durban city centre as part of the campaign.
While some institutions were registered correctly, others had compliance issues that raised red flags.
Students voiced frustrations around a lack of clear information, non-refundable fees, and programmes that didn’t match what was promised. In response, Gondwe instructed department officials to step in and support those affected.
She also stressed that while private colleges play an important role in broadening access to education, they must do so within the law.
“They are allowed to operate, but they have to operate within lawful parameters, and that is what we are trying to ensure—that their operations are legal and are registered with us and that the programmes they’re offering are accredited by our quality assurance bodies,” Gondwe explained.
The campaign will continue with more inspections of private colleges scheduled for Thursday, 27 March, as the government steps up efforts to protect students and ensure the integrity of South Africa’s higher education system.
