The Johannesburg High Court has twice ruled in Wits University’s favour after a father tried to force the institution to allow his daughter to graduate — despite owing R100,000 in fees.that the daughter had been allowed to register for her final year of study after an agreement was made between Wits University and her father, Nathaniel Makhubele.
“On his own admission, he failed to pay the amounts owing to the university pursuant to the 2022 acknowledgment of debt and acknowledged that an amount of R98,000 remained due and payable as at April 2023,” said acting judge G Meyer. Wits registrar Carol Crosley successfully contended that “there is no provision in its rules and regulations for students to pay fees by way of the cession of a court order.”Following Judge Meyer ruling in Wits University’s favour on this matter, another application was submitted by Makhubele that would compel Wits to allow his daughter to register for the university’s bachelor of education honours programme.
He added that both judgements “are the subject of pending applications for leave to appeal and hearing dates have not been allocated by the learned judges as they must hear these matters”. This was in response to Makhubele complaining that his daughter had not found a teaching post as she could not register for the South African Council of Educators without her degree certificate.Makhubele’s non-payment is a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of university fee non-payment.by the Sunday Times claims that universities are owed “billions of rand” by “tens of thousands of students.”