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March 26, 2024Hundreds of thousands of students may be left stranded after the Department of Higher Education
and Training deregistered several major private higher education institutions. Damelin,
CityVarsity, Icesa City Campus, and Lyceum College had their registrations cancelled by the
department’s director general, Nkosinathi Sishi, for failing to submit audited financial statements
since 2020.
The four colleges are owned by Educor, the largest private education provider in Southern Africa
operating over 60 campuses. Under the Higher Education Act, private tertiary institutions must
provide financial statements to the department for accountability purposes.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) spokesperson Asive Dlanjwa stated the deregistration
was in students’ best interests, citing a lack of proper governance at the institutions over the past
2-3 years despite opportunities to restore credibility. SAUS believes the colleges should not be re-
registered.
In late 2023, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) had raised concerns over
maladministration at Damelin and non-payment of staff salaries across Educor’s institutions.
However, Saftu could not be reached for comment on the recent deregistration.
One first-year Damelin Braamfontein student, who requested anonymity, expressed shock and
worry about her future education prospects after enrolling when unable to gain university
admission.
As per regulations, the deregistered institutions must provide academic transcripts and assist
students with transferring to other providers. SAUS appealed for calm, noting the decision does
not impact students who have already graduated.
Educor has yet to issue a public statement regarding the deregistration of its major tertiary
education brands affecting hundreds of thousands of current students.