The Durban University of Technology (DUT) said it strongly condemned the spreading of numerous false statements online, specifically related to student registration, available spaces, and confirmation of banking details.
The institution said false information had been circulating on some social media platforms this past weekend.
The management said. “The University is extremely concerned that the ’fake news’ is purely intended to confuse DUT students and staff, to create chaos, and to disrupt the university, thereby compromising operations and further unsettling the first semester.
“The University strongly condemns the actions of those criminals who are behind this latest series of false statements and misinformation. These criminals have gone as far as circulating contact numbers of some DUT staff members, compromising their privacy. This is in clear violation of the law and is prosecutable once the law enforcement agencies find those responsible.”
Despite the misinformation spread online, DUT confirmed that late online registration for first-year students would end on March 11.
“Registration remains online and no walk-in applications will be considered,” the university said.
It urged DUT staff and students to be vigilant regarding the intentional misdirection from those who did not have their best interests at heart.
“We strongly advise university staff and students to only access official DUT statements through the internal communication platforms,” the university said.
DUT students are advised to not circulate information that has not been verified and to avoid being part of the chain of fake news.
For official university statements, visit see www.dut.ac.za