South Africa: MPs Call for Urgent Action On Dental Technicians

What the report says

South Africa’s Parliament has urged the Department of Higher Education and Training to step in and mediate a long-running dispute between the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the South African Dental Technicians Council. The conflict has disrupted practical training for dental technology students and left some unable to finish their studies or graduate on schedule.

According to GroundUp, CPUT was forced to leave its Tygerberg Hospital premises used for hands-on training and moved students temporarily to laboratories at its Bellville campus while a new site in Tygervalley was being prepared. The council later said those temporary laboratories did not meet required standards, leading to the suspension of practical training. CPUT says the new Tygervalley facilities are now compliant and due for inspection, but the council says training cannot resume unless a separate accreditation dispute is resolved.

The dispute dates back to 2019, when the council introduced a joint exit assessment as a condition linked to accreditation. CPUT and two other universities have challenged that requirement in court, arguing that it oversteps the council’s role. The issue has also affected students who say their programme has been delayed since 2025, with CPUT reporting that several students could not graduate and dozens could not progress.

Parliament’s petitions committee described the situation as a deadlock and called for urgent mediation. The matter matters because it affects student progression, professional registration and the supply of trained dental technicians in South Africa, where CPUT warned that continued delays could worsen oral health service gaps.