The South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) is expected to consider Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) representations before deciding whether to forge ahead with a request to suspend its dental technology programme, reports IOL.
This comes after the Western Cape High Court dismissed an urgent application by CPUT to stop the council from seeking consent from Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to suspend its dental technology programme pending a review in the Gauteng division.
The Department of Health said it was hoping CPUT would take note of the fact that it cannot, as the judgment states “refuse to participate in a statutory process of the Council, in performance of its regulatory functions”.
“Institutions of higher learning that offer degrees regulated by a Professional Council must appreciate that the course must be accredited by the Professional Council before students can be trained and graduated,” spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
Although SADTC announced suspension of the programme earlier this year, it reversed its decision and decided to seek representation from CPUT before asking consent from the Minister.
Ongoing accreditation dispute
CPUT launched the urgent application after the SADTC asked it to make representations why the programme should not be suspended pending fulfilment of the conditions of accreditation.
CPUT had asked the court to declare unlawful and unconstitutional the council’s decision to notify it of its intention to request Motsoaledi’s consent for the suspension of the programme while there was a pending application to review accreditation criteria by it, the Durban University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology.
However, Acting Judge Zuko Luvo Mapoma ruled that CPUT cannot refuse to participate in a statutory process of the SADTC in performance of its regulatory functions.
He also noted that CPUT had spent the notice period gathering information to litigate instead of complying with the lawful regulatory process of a statutory body.
“As such, the delay cannot be justified by the sudden urgency of the matter. In my view, the conduct bears the attributes of a self-created urgency.
“… I am not persuaded that the application meets the threshold of urgency, and ordinarily the matter should be struck from the roll,” he said.
The dispute dates back to December 2020 when CPUT was granted conditional accreditation for the programme for the first year pending submission of required documentation in the first quarter of 2021.
When the university relocated its lab facilities in 2025 from Tygerberg Hospital to its campus, its new building had to comply with accreditation requirements, but there were delays in securing the requisite certificates from various authorities.
Mohale said now that the court made the ruling on the matter, the SADTC would consider CPUT’s representations and apply its mind as to whether to continue with its request to Motsoaledi.
The dispute initiated by CPUT went to its recognition of the Act of Parliament, and how all statutory councils operate, he added.
“The challenge seems to be over a perceived degree of autonomy of the institution, which is not applicable to professional programmes …CPUT needs to work with, and not against, the statutory council which has its legal mandate.
“Once CPUT concedes to this and conforms to the conditions for accreditation set out by the Council, the programme should be able to continue.
“Let’s not forget that the SADTC regulates the training of the profession in an effort to protect the public against dental technicians who may not be fully competent and then produce dental products not fit for purpose and/or cause harm to the patient," he said.
IOL article – CPUT dental programme faces next hurdle after court ruling (Open access)
Cape Argus article – CPUT loses urgent court bid over dental programme suspension (Open access)
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