Note to Editors: Please note Sakhile Mngadi, MPL sound bites in English and isiZulu
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is deeply alarmed by reports of a fraudulent ‘matric school’ – known as Matric Scholars – allegedly operated by Ms Nombuso Mtshali within the premises of the Durban University of Technology (DUT).
The so-called institution was never registered with the KZN Department of Education (DoE) yet accepted hundreds of learners who reportedly paid over R8 000 each, believing they would write their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations this month.
When learners arrived to write yesterday, they discovered they had not been issued legitimate examination numbers and that Matric Scholars did not appear on the DoE’s database of registered centres.
This is a serious violation of the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Examinations Regulations of 2018, which require all matric or ‘finishing’ schools to be registered with the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
The DA calls for:
• A full investigation into Ms. Mtshali and her associates for alleged fraud, misrepresentation, and contravention of Section 46 of the South African Schools Act, which prohibits operating an unregistered school
• Urgent action by the DoE to assist all affected learners by placing them at recognised special matric centres, commonly known as Dokkies, which handle late or supplementary exam entries and;
• An investigation into DUT’s role and how an unregistered institution was allowed to operate within its facilities. DUT must account for the apparent failure of oversight that lent legitimacy to a fraudulent operation.
The DoE must also strengthen awareness campaigns warning against fake schools and unregistered examination centres. Many young people seeking to complete matric are trapped by scams like this every year due to poor regulation and information.
The DA, as a partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), will meet with affected learners and families to ensure their cases are formally recorded and that they are placed into legitimate examination pathways.