A group of 17 young plumbers have had their careers come to a screeching halt after an artisan school withheld their certificates due to unpaid debts.

According to some of the learners who asked not to be publicly named, they were enrolled at the Durban Artisan Academy for a three year plumbing course, and when they graduated in 2023, they were told that they would not get their certificates because the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure owes the academy money.

One of the students told the African Times that since 2023, he has been unable to look for a job, and his life has come to a standstill.

“Companies are willing to hire us, but they want certificates to prove that we are qualified for the jobs since insurance companies need that. When we go to the academy, it says there won’t be certificates for us until they are paid and officials of the Department are ignoring our pleas for help,” said one plumber caught in the predicament.

The academy confirmed that it is owed money for training the plumbers and said the programme was funded by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), with the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) as the employer and Artisan as the accredited training provider, under a tripartite agreement.

It said a total of 69 learners were enrolled across five trades. The Durban plumbing cohort of 17 learners completed their training successfully in 2023.

“These form part of the final reconciliation in the project close-out. Artisan has fully delivered on its training obligations and has submitted the required Close-Out Report. We are actively engaging both NDPWI and CETA to resolve these amounts and finalise all financial matters.

“The most recent major payments, processed through CETA, covered Years 1 and 2. Year 3 payments remain blocked pending resolution of the extension and available budget,” the academy said when it was asked about the matter.

Meanwhile, the Department passed the buck to CETA (Construction Education and Training Authority), one of its subsidiaries. It said it was only responsible for the payment of the stipend and for providing workplace practicals.

“The Department does not owe the Service provider any money. The questions should be directed to the CETA and not to the DPWI. The Department is aware that the original certificates are with the service provider who is refusing to give to the learners the originals because of a payment dispute between themselves and the CETA.

“We have tried talking to the CETA about the problem of learners not getting original certificates and rather being given copies. We approached the CETA, seeking to understand and resolve this matter.

“In our last follow-up discussion with the CETA on 10 June 2026, we were informed by the CETA representatives that they are waiting for their superiors to deal with the outstanding payments to the service provider and the issuance of original certificates to the learners,” the Department said in a written response sent to the African Times.