Damelin, City Varsity, and ICESA City Campus are under threat of deregistration after the Department of Higher Education and Training flagged serious compliance failures.
The announcement was made by Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela on Saturday, 13 December, confirming that the department has issued a formal notice of intent to cancel the institutions’ registration. The decision follows ongoing concerns about governance, reporting, and sustainability.
At the heart of the matter is the institutions’ failure to meet basic legal requirements. The department says all three colleges did not submit their 2024 annual statutory reports, even after being granted deadline extensions and a final opportunity to comply.
Beyond reporting issues, the department indictaes that the institutions also failed to show proof that they are financially and operationally stable. Required documents including audited financial statements, tax compliance certificates, financial guarantees, and occupational health and safety approvals were not provided to the Registrar.
Adding to the concern, the department has confirmed that City Varsity and ICESA City Campus are believed to have stopped operating altogether. This means they are no longer delivering higher education programmes, which directly violates registration conditions.
While the notice signals serious intent, deregistration has not yet been finalised. The law requires that affected institutions be given the opportunity to make representations before a final decision is taken.
The notice will be published in the Government Gazette, and the department has reassured students that support systems will be activated to protect their academic progress should deregistration proceed.
