Limpopo police have appealed to previous and current students of the Seshego FET College to report to their nearest police station to submit their details.
This comes after the three suspects who were arrested for allegedly running the bogus FET college appeared in the Seshego Magistrate Court.
The college owner, Hangwani Joseph Mukwevho, 57, his wife Olebile Monica Mukwevho, 45, and accomplice Avhapfani Dalton Mululuma, 31, were remanded in custody to allow for further police investigation.
They will appear again on 25 January 2013.
"Police are appealing to all previous and current students of the college to report
to their nearest police station to furnish the police with the following particulars: full
names, Identity Document number, contact details and place of residence. This is to
broaden the investigation and allow the police to have a database of students who
have been ripped-off,' said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.
He said the Hawks in Limpopo had closed down the Seshego FET College in Zone 7,
Seshego, and its branch at 75 Church Street, Polokwane.
"The trio?s arrest was as a result of investigations which were initiated after
students went to the Department of Education to enquire whether the college was
registered with the department or not.
"After establishing that the college was not registered, the department alerted the
police whose thorough investigation led to the closure of both campuses and the
subsequent arrest of the three,' said Brigadier Mulaudzi.
During the arrest, a total R69 250 was found at the campuses. R54 700 was
seized at the main campus in Seshego, whilst the balance of R14 550 was at the
administrator?s desk in the Polokwane campus.
Computers with student information, bank receipts indicating that students have
paid and other registers were seized for investigation purposes.
The Polokwane campus also does business under a different name of TT FET
College in the same building.
Seshego FET College
The Seshego FET College has been in operation for the past 12 years whereas
the Polokwane outlet only started its operation in 2012.
The Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Directorate of Priority Crime
Investigations, Major General Dibero Molatjana, urged all students to ascertain with
the department of education if the college they are about to register with is a
legitimate one or a fly-by-night.
"We are on a mission to clamp down on all bogus institutions. Students must not
lose money but verify the legitimacy of a school before paying the money. We salute
the students who heeded to our call and contacted the education department to
verify the status of the college which we have shut down,' Molatjana said. -
SAnews.gov.za
2016 update
According to subsequent reports Mukwevho and his wife were detained for two weeks before the charges were dropped and it was discovered that the college was in fact accredited with the Department.
In 2015 Mukwevho laid a claim against the Department for R2 million in financial and reputational damages.
The department has yet to file its side of the story, and the court case is still pending.