The South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) will consider representations from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) before deciding whether to proceed with a request to suspend its dental technology programme. This follows a Western Cape High Court ruling that dismissed an urgent application by CPUT to stop the council from seeking consent from Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to suspend the programme pending a review.
The dispute between CPUT and SADTC dates back to December 2020 when CPUT was granted conditional accreditation for the programme. However, the university's new laboratory facilities, relocated from Tygerberg Hospital to its campus in 2025, experienced delays in securing requisite certificates from various authorities. As a result, SADTC announced the suspension of the programme earlier this year but reversed its decision and decided to seek representation from CPUT before asking for the minister's consent.
According to the Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale, institutions of higher learning offering 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. Mohale emphasized that CPUT needs to work with, and not against, the statutory council, which has a legal mandate to regulate the training of dental technicians.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley stated that the dental technology programme remains a programme at CPUT and has not officially been suspended. The institution's end goal is the academic progression of students in the pipeline of this programme, and it continues to offer it for the future dental health of South Africans and the profession. Kansley also mentioned that a fire inspection was conducted at the institution's new state-of-the-art laboratories, and the building was deemed compliant in terms of safety regulations.
The court ruling was part of an interlocutory action by CPUT and did not affect the main case brought by CPUT, the Durban University of Technology, and the Tshwane University of Technology, which still has to be heard in the Gauteng High Court. Kansley stated that the SADTC has not filed any opposing papers to date, despite the deadline for doing so having expired.
The dispute initiated by CPUT went to its recognition of the Act of Parliament and how all statutory councils operate. Mohale said the challenge seems to be over a perceived degree of autonomy of the institution, which is not applicable to professional programmes. He emphasized that once CPUT concedes to this and conforms to the conditions for accreditation set out by the Council, the programme should be able to continue.
The SADTC regulates the training of dental technicians to protect the public against those who may not be fully competent and produce dental products that are not fit for purpose or cause harm to patients. CPUT's dental technology programme remains uncertain as the institution awaits the SADTC's decision on whether to proceed with the request to suspend the programme.
Key points
- The Western Cape High Court dismissed CPUT's urgent application to stop the SADTC from seeking ministerial consent to suspend its dental technology programme.
- CPUT's dental technology programme has not been officially suspended, according to the institution's spokesperson.
- The dispute between CPUT and SADTC dates back to December 2020 when CPUT was granted conditional accreditation for the programme.
