As the academic year has started at the different higher education institutions, many students are still left in a state of confusion and uncertainty. Those who did not apply in time have no idea what to do, while even the ones who had followed the correct protocols are still waiting in anticipation, not knowing whether they will be accepted or not.
In the midst of all this turmoil, greedy officials seem to have found a way of making a quick buck out of the poor students. One of the institutions to be hit by such a scandal is the University of Venda (Univen), where an official is alleged to have tried to solicit a bribe from a prospective student who had applied for admission to the university.
The incident came to light last week when the student, who had applied online, received a message saying that her admission blues could be over if she paid an amount of R3 500. Unfortunately for the official, the student (who goes by the name of "Mimz" on Twitter) did not pay the money but shared the conversation on Twitter instead.
This scandal has raised many an eyebrow, with some desperately trying to guess what the extent of this rot is that seems to have crept into the education system. But according to a staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, this scandal is only the tip of the iceberg.
"Everything is possible at this institution if you have money. Besides this admission scam, academics also get entangled in corruption, where research can be approved in exchange for cash. We hope this is just the beginning and that the relevant parties will be exposed for all the other irregularities going on at Univen," the staff member said.
Another concerned employee at the university said the fact that qualifying and deserving students were being overlooked and those who could afford to pay bribes got to take their place was painful.
Univen spokesperson Dr Takalani Dzaga confirmed and condemned the incident, saying such behaviour was unethical and brought the university's reputation into disrepute. He said the university had since suspended the official in question.