Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela has directed the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Council to provide an urgent explanation for what he described as an unacceptable delay in acting on allegations of a degree-selling syndicate operating within the institution. The allegations involve foreign nationals and have raised concerns about the integrity of the national higher education system.
According to the Ministry, the Department had previously indicated that it would await the outcome of VUT’s internal investigation into the claims. However, new reports suggest that senior management may have had credible evidence from a whistleblower for more than a year but failed to take decisive action. This has prompted the Minister to demand clarity and accountability from the university’s leadership.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Minister said he was disturbed by claims that management sat on critical information that could have prevented the alleged scheme from continuing. Minister Manamela said, “It is unacceptable for allegations of this magnitude, which threaten the integrity of our National Qualifications Framework to be met with administrative delays.” He added that if management had known about the claims a year earlier, investigating alone was no longer enough and urgent accountability was required.
The Minister has written to the Chairperson of the VUT Council, Professor Mandla Radebe, requesting a preliminary report by Friday, 5 December 2025. He has directed the Council to provide detailed responses on three issues. These are the reasons behind the alleged 12-month delay in acting on the whistleblower’s report, proof that consequence management is underway, and immediate measures to ring-fence the 2026 registration process to prevent manipulation.
The Ministry stated that the sale of degrees is a criminal act and any confirmed wrongdoing will be dealt with through law enforcement. According to the statement, if VUT’s internal processes are found to be insufficient, the Department of Higher Education will refer the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
The Ministry emphasised that the alleged syndicate poses a direct threat to the credibility of academic qualifications and the functioning of the higher education system. The Department wants assurance that the upcoming 2026 intake is protected from possible interference or fraudulent activities.
The Minister said the Department would continue to monitor the situation closely and expects full cooperation from the university’s leadership. Further action will be considered once the preliminary report has been submitted. The statement was issued by Matshepo Seedat, the spokesperson for the Minister.
