Fraud case opened against matric upgrade school owner, DUT probes
KwaZulu-Natal police have confirmed that a fraud case has been opened against the owner of a school that appears to have been operating as a matric upgrade academy.
Matric Scholars Academy is said to have been running from DUT’s ML Sultan campus without the university’s authorisation.
The Durban University of Technology says it has launched an internal investigation after learning that the academy was operating on its campus without permission.
DUT has stressed that it is not affiliated with Matric Scholars Academy and only offers programmes registered with the South African Qualifications Authority.
It's understood that hundreds of learners paid R8,000 - believing they would be able to sit for the National Senior Certificate exams currently underway.
But when they arrived to write the English Paper 3 exam yesterday, they were told they had no legitimate exam numbers, as the school is not on the Department of Education’s list of registered centres.
The KZN Education Department has confirmed the academy is not registered with them.
It's urged that affected learners visit any district office to register for the May or June exams next year.
DUT says it's working with police - adding that anyone found responsible could face criminal and disciplinary action.
The university also confirmed that the alleged owner of the school is not a staff member.
The Democratic Alliance in KZN has also called for accountability and a full criminal investigation.
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