The Council of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) finally responded to Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela regarding the serious allegations of a syndicate selling fraudulent degrees and registrations to foreign nationals.
MDN News reported a week ago that Manamela was not happy that council ignored the whistleblower who raised his concerns about for a year without taking any legal action.
Manamela confirmed that he has received a formal response from the Council of the VUT about the serious allegations of a syndicate selling fraudulent degrees and registrations to foreign nationals.
He said he welcomed the transparency of the Council Chairperson, Professor Mandla Radebe, who has confirmed that these serious allegations were never tabled before the University Council until media enquiries surfaced in November 2025.
This was despite the fact that the matter was reported by a whistleblower in August 2024.
“It is deeply concerning that the oversight body of the institution was kept in the dark regarding allegations that threaten the core academic integrity of the university,” said Manamela.
Manamela further said that he noted and endorsed the council’s resolution to reject the preliminary report submitted by University Management as “wholly inadequate and institute an immediate independent forensic investigation into the alleged syndicate and the timeline of management’s response.
He denied council’s request for a three-month period to conclude this forensic investigation.
Manamela he has written to the VUT Council requesting a supplementary brief on the immediate interim measures being implemented to safeguard the 2026 registration process.
“We have asked the council to confirm specifically how they will verify the credentials of foreign nationals and applicants claiming ‘recognition of prior learning’ during this registration window. We also expect immediate consequence management for any staff members implicated, to prevent them from accessing the university’s IT systems while the investigation is underway,” he said.