The Council of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) has formally responded to Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Buti Manamela, regarding the explosive allegations of a criminal syndicate operating within the institution, selling fraudulent degrees and registrations to foreign nationals. The response, confirmed by Manamela on Monday, has revealed a startling internal failure: the university’s highest governing body was never informed of the serious allegations, despite a whistleblower raising the alarm over a year ago.
The scandal, first exposed by MDN News last week, centres on allegations that a syndicate, with potential insider complicity, has been systematically selling academic credentials and admission slots to foreign nationals, bypassing legitimate entry requirements and undermining the integrity of the institution’s qualifications. Minister Manamela expressed public frustration a week ago, noting that the VUT Council had appeared to ignore the whistleblower’s detailed report submitted in August 2024, taking no apparent legal or disciplinary action for more than a year.
In his statement, Manamela confirmed receipt of the Council’s formal reply, welcoming the transparency of Council Chairperson Professor Mandla Radebe. “The Council Chairperson has confirmed that these serious allegations were never tabled before the University Council until media enquiries surfaced in November 2025,” Manamela stated. “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.”
The Minister’s account paints a picture of a management structure that either failed to grasp the severity of the accusations or deliberately suppressed them. In response to the belated disclosure, the VUT Council has taken two critical steps: it has rejected a preliminary report submitted by University Management as “wholly inadequate,” and it has resolved to institute an immediate independent forensic investigation into the alleged syndicate and the timeline of management’s response.
However, Manamela has tightened the screws, denying the Council’s request for three months to conclude the probe. “We need urgency and decisive action, not protracted delays that allow the system to be further compromised,” he asserted.
Demonstrating a hands-on approach to the crisis, the Minister has also written to the VUT Council demanding a supplementary brief on immediate interim measures to safeguard the upcoming 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,” Manamela said. “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.”
The unfolding scandal at VUT has intensified scrutiny on the vulnerabilities within South Africa’s higher education system, particularly regarding the verification of international qualifications and the robustness of internal governance. The case now hinges on the speed and credibility of the forensic investigation, and on whether the university’s leadership can restore trust in an institution whose academic currency has been severely devalued by the spectre of fraud.
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