Dental technology students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology are enduring disrupted studies and financial strain due to an escalating conflict between the university and the South African Dental Technicians Council. Classes have been halted since June 2025 over laboratory standards and graduation policies. A student-led shutdown persists as funding cuts deepen the crisis.
Dental technology students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have been unable to attend classes properly since June 2025, following a move from Tygerberg Hospital in May 2025 to temporary laboratories at the Bellville campus. The South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) inspected these facilities in October 2025 and deemed them unsafe, ordering their closure.
On 26 March 2026, the SADTC suspended the programme, stating that CPUT must not graduate students without concurrent council registration. "CPUT must commit to not graduating students who cannot simultaneously be registered with council," the council said. It also demanded joint assessments for final exams, which CPUT has not accepted.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley defended the university, calling the issue a long-standing industry problem dating back to 2020. She noted that the new laboratories are now certified and that the relocation from Tygerberg was due to demands from the Department of Health. The university claims to have a recovery plan in place.
Students, caught in the standoff, report severe impacts. A third-year student said, "NSFAS dropped me... Now I might graduate in 2028." Another added that funding and accommodation have been lost, with no classes starting this year. They have submitted a memorandum to Parliament and vowed to keep classes shut until facilities improve.
Matshepo Seedat, spokesperson for the Department of Higher Education and Training, said the process is ongoing and an update will follow.