DUT students camp outside as housing crisis continues
The university said it is aware of the gravity of the situation and is, in conjunction with their Student Representative Council, actively trying to find a solution to the problem.
DESTITUTE Durban University of Technology (DUT) students continue to spend their nights on the streets as the housing crisis at the institution wears on. Leader of the group of students without accommodation, who only identified herself as Phindile from the EFF Student Command says they have lost confidence in the Student Representative Council (SRC) because they are working with the school’s management to ‘frustrate them.’
“Even though we have received funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), we still don’t have accommodation. We cannot attend lecturers and we are not receiving any assistance from the SRC.”
“We were locked out of the temporary accommodation on Friday night. We will camp here on the main campus administration block‚ with our mattresses and luggage, lining the steps until the management listens to us,” she said.
Another student from the crowd said: “I am far from home and I am not the only one. We did not bath in days. Where should we go? We will stay here until they decide to deal with us.”
Others said they would rather de-register and go back home rather than suffer.
Responding to questions from the Berea Mail, the university confirmed that it was experiencing a ‘housing challenge’.
“The university is aware of the gravity of the situation and is, in conjunction with our Student Representative Council, actively trying to find a solution to the problem. We have engaged with NSFAS throughout Friday (17 February 2017) and over this past weekend, in a bid to find a solution to the accommodation challenges.”
“We can assure our students, staff and members of the public, that we are doing everything in our power to provide accommodation for our students.”
“Once management and the SRC receive further advice from NSFAS, we will update the affected students who still require accommodation.”
The academic programme at the DUT was suspended earlier this month.
The university otherwise remains open for business and the extended registration will still continue this week. Lectures, laboratory and practical sessions, tutorials and assessments will resume shortly.
