University of Limpopo ordered to pay legal fees of two master's students it unlawfully deregistered
In February 2023, Ntando Mnguni and Philistine Cele were on the verge of graduating when the university informed them it was terminating their studies.
Philisiwe Cele and Ntando Mnguni. Picture: Thabiso Goba/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The University of Limpopo has been ordered to pay the legal costs of two master's students who successfully sued it for unlawfully deregistering them.
In February 2023, Ntando Mnguni and Philistine Cele were on the verge of graduating when the university informed them it was terminating their studies.
The university said it only found out two years into their studies that they did not meet the general admission requirements to be admitted to its master’s degree programme for information sciences.
After more than two years of fighting the University of Limpopo, Ntando Mnguni and Philisiwe Cele say justice has finally prevailed.
During the mediation process, they rejected an offer from the university to redo their master’s degree where they would have been registered under the recognition of prior learning pipeline.
Mnguni said this had been an emotionally and financially taxing journey.
"Knowing that the university has been ordered to cover my legal fees truly does provide a sense of fairness. It’s important institutions are held accountable for their irrational decisions and this order helps to ensure I won't have to bear the financial burden of fighting for my rights."
The University of Limpopo has been ordered to reassess both its decisions to deregister the students and refusing to award them their master's degrees.