Limpopo Uni acknowledges 'procedural defects', but insists deregistering 2 master's students correct decision

JOHANNESBURG - The University of Limpopo has acknowledged there were some "procedural defects" in how it deregistered two master's degree students, two years into their course.

However, the institution insists it made the right decision and has opposed the students' application to have their terminations set aside.

On Wednesday, the university and the two students faced off at the Limpopo High Court.

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.

The legal representative of the University of Limpopo, Advocate Mbuso Majozi, said the institution is willing to register the two students through its recognition of prior learning pipeline.

READ: Limpopo University defends decision to deregister 2 master's students

"The issue is whether or not those procedural defects are so substantive that they taint the entire process with irregularity. We submit on the basis and rules of what we have uncovered and what the requirements are, the decision (to terminate) was still a correct one," argued Majozi.

A representative for the students, Beauty Madhava said they reject any settlement that requires them to redo their entire master's programme.

"We are amenable to be granted an order that which states that the fact that you say we erroneously admitted you, but from now on wherever we stopped with the master's programme then they are ordered to proceed but not to revisit the admission issues because I believe that’s a non-starter," said Madhava.

Judgment was reserved.