CheckPoint makes cut - just

Last night's episode of CheckPoint - e.tv's weekly investigative current affairs show - was given the green light only a few hours before it was to air.

An urgent court application to prevent the screening of the episode was brought by Jeppe College of Commerce and Computer Studies.

The college describes itself as a "nationally recognised FET private service provider, fully accredited by Umalusi and registered under the Private Further Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act 16 of 2006) as a private education service provider by the Department of Education".

But CheckPoint presenter Nkepile Mabuse said the college - which has been running since 1997 with campuses in Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Vereeniging and Pretoria - has been "issuing national diplomas [it is] not accredited to issue".

She told The Times last night that students and a lecturer had told CheckPoint that they were worried that the students' qualifications were not valid.

Said Mabuse: "So, the premise of the episode was, what can be considered a national diploma?

"People must understand what a nationally recognised qualification is. eNCA interviewed the college and obviously they were aware that we would air tonight and they interdicted us ... there is a lot of money at stake. We understand an average student pays R30000."

Mabuse said the judge dismissed the college's application with full costs, and promised a complete verdict on March 27.

"The judge even said to the college's [lawyer] 'At the rate you're going, the episode would have aired already'," said Mabuse.

Last year, the Higher Education Department said criminal charges had been laid against a number of colleges across the country, and the FBI in the US had been alerted to allegations in respect of the Study for Career Success "university" in the US.