Limpopo University defends decision to deregister 2 masters students

POLOKWANE – The University of Limpopo has defended its decision to deregister two master’s degree students while in the second year of their studies.

The institution said its guidelines allowed it to terminate the studies of any student if there was probable cause. 

In February 2023, the institution terminated the registrations of Philisiwe Cele and Ntando Mnguni, saying they did not meet the admission requirements for its master’s degree programme in information sciences.

READ: ‘We spent two years already doing this’: Limpopo Uni students deregistered on the brink of graduation

On Wednesday, the Limpopo High Court heard an application of unfair termination brought by the students against the university.

The legal representative of the University of Limpopo, Advocate Mbuso Majozi said a relationship between a student and a university was a contractual one.

Majozi said when the two students signed their acceptance forms, they entered into a contractual agreement with the institution.

“There is a term of the contract that says we accept you, your acceptance is provisional and will remain provisional and to the extent we pick up any irregularity in your registration we can review your admission. That is something in a contractual sense is accepted by the applicant when they register.”

The irregularity picked up at the university was that the two students had B-Tech degrees instead of the required Bachelor’s degrees.

Counsel for the two students argued their terminations were procedurally unfair.