Tshwane college students resort to dating older men, crime to pay for expenses

Students at the Tshwane North TVET college in the Pretoria CBD claim they must resort to “dating” older men and crime to make ends meet.

This as National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) payments to beneficiaries at the college were delayed, and students struggle to pay for their accommodation and other expenses.

“After my mum lost her job, I had to get financial assistance,” a 22-year-old female student studying at the college who wished to remain anonymous told Pretoria East Rekord.

The student said she then decided to see the college CBD campus manager.

“I went to the manager and explained my financial situation to her, but I was told, ‘why don’t you get a boyfriend?’”

She said the manager told her that “today’s generation was too spoiled and expected everything to be done for them”.

“The manager said I should get a boyfriend who was willing to pay for my student fees.”

The student said her fees were paid for by Nsfas.

“But I don’t get any allowance money to cater for things such as my accommodation, travel, living allowance, personal care such as toiletries and other sanitary needs.”

“Now I am dating older men who can pay my expenses. The reality is that students need money to study.

“I tried getting a student job, but most workplaces demand a letter from the college to prove that you are a genuine student. At our college, they deny us these letters – I don’t know why,” she claimed.

Protesting students at the college this week accused the institution of “robbing them” of their Nsfas funds by not allocating them correctly.

Tshwane North TVET college (TNC) in the Pretoria CBD protest in Madiba street over Nsfas allowance grievances. Photo: Reitumetse Mahope.

SRC chairperson Bongani Sibiya also said students resorted to crime in addition to “dating” older men, to pay for their accommodation.

Sibiya blamed delayed payments to students funded by the Nsfas.

Protesters demanded a response to the memorandum they submitted last week after they marched to the Department of Higher Education and Training.

“We also want the current principal to be replaced,” he said. “The college must be shut down for three months and placed under administration.”

The department failed to respond to students’ grievances, according to Sibiya.

“Without accredited accommodation in the CBD, many students would often be kicked out of their rented places due to delayed or non-payments.

“We have students who are currently studying, while others have completed studying in 2017, 2018 and 2019 who have never received their Nsfas allowances.”

According to Sibiya, the college’s management blamed the payment delays on Nsfas.

“In July last year, our SRC went to Cape Town to find out from Nsfas officials what was exactly happening with our allowances. These officials, however, blamed the college for the problem.”

He said the college was only claiming for transport allowances and not accommodation.

“We are aware that some students have not received their 2020 allocations from the Nsfas,” said Tshwane North College spokesperson Kebone Toba.

“Subsequently, we issued a communique to the student in terms of how the allocations will be paid to them once the money was received from the Nsfas.”

Toba said the college would be undertaking a verification process before any money would be disbursed.

He said Nsfas has appointed an advisor to join their team.

“We are privileged to have such a highly knowledgeable and experienced individual from the education sector who will provide valuable contribution to the Nsfas funding processes and services.”

Toba said the college was fully functional, and all academic activities would continue normally.

The spokesperson, however, failed to comment on the issue of students being advised to “date” boyfriends to make ends meet.

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