International credibility of NMU qualifications in question due to shoddy student records and transcripts?

I am a past student of what used to be the University of Port Elizabeth, now Nelson Mandela University. I recently relocated to Australia and want to commence further studies toward a Masters degree at one of the Australian Universities. In order to do this, I require a full transcript of my student record as well as information regarding the content of the modules that comprised my Bachelor and Honours degrees. In order to obtain this I was advised by the Student Records department that I should deposit R600 into an account and the required documentation would be emailed to me, which it was...

However, the documents received were inaccurate, riddled with blatant data, spelling and grammatical errors. I was also advised that one section of the document could only be provided in Afrikaans and that a translation was not available. Should I want it translated, I should find a translator! My studies were conducted in English, coursework and examinations were available in English and Afrikaans, at the time, but I was an English student. Surely, if not available in all 11 official languages, such information should, at least, be available in English. I AM able to translate this myself and will do so, I just find such a response bothersome.

More concerning and frustrating are the inaccuracies and lack of attention to detail in the academic record and transcript. The reason international universities require this is to check the authenticity and credibility of information provided by the student applying for the course as well as determining whether the qualifications obtained in South Africa meet the minimum entry requirements. If I furnish them with the documents that I received from Student Records recently, they will certainly further question, not only the credibility of the information that I am providing, but also the academic credibility of an institution of higher education that would furnish students with such documents.

I rep**** to the email that I received, containing the documents, advising what the issues were and that the deadline for submission of my application is fast approaching, but received no response. Clearly MY concerns were of little concern.

The Nelson Mandela University will really need to up their game in terms of their student reporting if they want their qualifications to maintain any credibility on the international stage. The documents I received carry no credibility at all! In fact, it makes my degrees that I achieved Cum Laude look like a joke - a bad one at that.

Now I am faced with the proverbial “catch 22” - don’t submit the records and have my application declined due to incomplete data or submit the records and have my application declined due to questionable credibility and authenticity...