The Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela has directed the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) to account for the delayed action on the degree-selling scandal invoĺving foreign nationals.
Recently the VUT Council came underfire after a whistleblower who claimed to be a Congolese national alleged that the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) was facing severe institutional following allegations about a long-running scheme to fraudulently award degrees and registrations to international students, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for a fee.
The scandal is said to be dating back to 2016 and it is now threatening the university’s accreditation, its reputation and the integrity of South Africa’s higher education system.
The whistlebloqwer further claimed that the scheme involved a network of corrupt university insiders and external agents who, for significant financial gain, facilitated the enrollment and graduation of foreign students who did not meet academic requirements.
Manamela, said that he has noted with serious concern the reports regarding an alleged degree-selling syndicate at the VUT, involving foreign nationals.
Manamela further said that the ministry had previously indicated that it would await the outcome of the University’s internal probe, but the minister was disturbed by allegations that senior management may have been in possession of credible evidence from a whistleblower for over a year without taking decisive action.
“It is unacceptable for allegations of this magnitude, which threaten the integrity of our National Qualifications Framework to be met with administrative delays.
“If management knew about this a year ago, as alleged, simply ‘investigating’ is no longer enough. We need to know why the perpetrators were supposedly left in the system to potentially corrupt the 2026 intake,” said the fuming Manamela.
Manamela has today written to the VUT Council Chairperson, demanding a preliminary report by Friday, 5 December 2025.
Manamela requested specific details on Why there was an alleged 12-month delay in acting on the whistleblower’s report, proof that “consequence management” is actively taking place and immediate measures to ring-fence the 2026 registration process to protect it from further manipulation.
Manamela reiterated that the sale of degrees is a criminal offence.
“Should the university’s internal processes prove insufficient, It is a matter that the Department will take to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks),” he said.