Deputy Minister, these certificates and evidence of qualification has been outstanding since 2007. To my knowledge, in March 2018 you met with Sita and Umalusi to discuss the matter. The printing of these certificates is outsourced. So, where did the problem occur? If it is being outsourced, certainly there is a service level agreement as far as the printing of these certificates is concerned.
What went wrong, and what consequences are there for those responsible for it going wrong?
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Chair, in fact, there are, as I indicated, weekly meetings between Umalusi, the department and Sita. Sita is the IT service provider. The department is responsible for examinations. Umalusi is responsible for certification.
Now, the bulk of these certificates come about when students write on multiple examination sittings. So, someone will write their N4 examinations in June and in December, and they will carry over some of the subjects. Some of them may not have passed some of the subjects.
This creates that bulk. They will also try and create a combination of subjects so that they are able to be certificated for a particular level.
So it's not merely about the printing. If it was just about us getting into the office and printing, that would have been quite easier to do. So, it involves us ... I mean, it involves the students showing that they are indeed qualified for that
certificate, us helping them consolidate for a particular level certification and then submitting that to Umalusi. Umalusi then certifies that indeed this is the case, and then Sita issuing that certificate.
Essentially, that's the process. I don't know whether you are denying because you don't understand or you are denying because it's in your habit, but, whatever, I think that's the process. Thank you. [Laughter.]