The University of South Africa's vice principal Professor Romogai Magano has confirmed that investigations into students allegedly cheating and plagiarising during exams were underway. He said over 1 400 students were under investigation and will face serious consequences and disciplinary processes should they be found to have infringed the institution's academic integrity.

However, the students accused of cheating have blamed technical glitches on the online invigilator application. The vice principal said all cases related to the Invigilator App have been concluded and students have been given warning letters for minor contraventions. "We are continuing with cases related to academic dishonesty mostly by postgraduate students. The remaining cases which are about 1 456 pertain to pure academic dishonesty which includes among others plagiarism and non-adherence to Turn It In, which is a`software that is used to check whether the submission includes plagiarism or any other copied material. Formal hearings in this regard have already commenced on the 25th of March." he said.

Magano said students should not be deterred by the ongoing investigations and should register for their courses in case they are found not guilty. "It must be emphasised that students who are under investigations and/or undergoing disciplinary hearings are allowed to register in the intervening period to ensure that, should they be found not guilty, they are disadvantaged with regard to their studies and academic progress," Magano said.