By: Mbalenhle Zibani

A small group of students have become the victims of robbery owing to a bogus nursing school in the rural area of Kgubetswana in Matatiele.

This happened after police in the country have been in a campaign to close down illegal or unregistered colleges, due to the increasing number of people ripped off by “fly by night” colleges.

Sereko Mapheelle was one of the students who paid R2000 to the pre-nursing programme called Thembimpilo Health Education. The school was owned by Dr Thembi Mkhize who was a director for the “mobile school”.

“The course was for 6 months,” said Sereko. “After all the money and time, we only got statements, not certificates.”

Dr Mkhize and her partner, Anastacia Letjeloane (pre-nursing lecturer), allegedly promised students certificates and practicals at the end of the course.

“Dr Mkhize went back to her home in Umlazi after she said her husband past away,” said Letjeloane. “After that we have never heard from her again, her cell phone always puts me on voicemail.”

Copy of the statement of symbols that students got from the “fly by night” college. The students were left in awe after they realised they had been ripped off. Picture by Mbalenhle Zibani.

Most of people in the community are illiterate and unemployed. Letjeloane thought the nursing programme would help bring change by equipping young people. Neither she nor the student knew that Dr Mkhize would disappear.

Statements of symbols which students received had registration numbers which lead them to thinking that the programme was legitimate.

The Nursing Act 2005 Section 42 makes it illegal for any institution to practice as a nurse or mid-wife centre unless both the institution and programme of education and training are accredited by the nursing council.

According to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) most illegal institutions make it sound legitimate by giving their programmes obscure names like pre-nursing, so learners think completing the course guarantees them to further nursing education.

SANC and police are working together to try to close down illegal institution or programmes.