Inside UJ’s student challenges: Suicide, mental health, finance, and safety concerns listed

Students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) are grappling with serious challenges including suicide, kidnapping, and theft.

The institution recently revealed this during its presentation to the Portfolio Committee of Higher Education in Parliament.

“Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are on the rise in our institution. These are exacerbated by academic pressure, financial concerns, and social isolation.

“While the university offers counselling services, they are under-resourced. This can be seen when looking at the number of suicide cases we have recorded this academic year,” the university’s state of affairs report from the student’s perspective read.

UJ media liaison manager, Herman Esterhuizen confirmed to The Citizen that the institution recorded a number of suicide cases this academic year.

However, he said while UJ recognised the “significant mental health challenges many students face”, it could not reveal the number of suicides at the school citing confidentiality and sensitivity.

“Precise statistics on such sensitive matters are handled with strict privacy considerations, and details are disclosed in line with ethical guidelines and legal requirements. In sharing these comments, we also take into consideration the impact on the families of the students tragically lost,” Esterhuizen told The Citizen.

UJ said it was prioritising mental health support through partnerships with external organisations, expanding digital counselling resources, and optimising triage systems.

Esterhuizen said UJ had also seen an increase in the demand for student counselling and health services, “reflecting a growing awareness of mental health and the importance of support”.

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Financial burdens weigh heavily

According to the institution, the increase in registration fees has heavily burdened students, who must also cover tuition, books, housing, and living expenses.

UJ increased its registration fee from R3 870 in 2023 to R5 560, and from R6 470 to R9 270 for residence students.

“Many rely on bursaries, such as  National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), while others work part-time, leading to stress and academic performance impact,” the report read.

It also mentioned that Nsfas-funded students face delayed financial confirmations, processing appeals, and fear of defunding without reason.

The university said it provided meal assistance to over 6000 students who may “otherwise go hungry”.

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Safety and security concerns

Student safety at UJ also emerged as a critical issue, particularly outside campus boundaries.

The student representative council cited on-campus safety as “great”. However, it cited reports of “theft, kidnapping and occasional physical confrontations” at the various university gates.

According to the report students’ safety remained at risk during their commute to and from campus.

They highlighted evening classes and limited security patrols as pertinent risks.

The university has responded by “intensifying security measures by extending patrol zones around campus perimeters and deploying additional security personnel during peak hours, including 24/7 surveillance cameras and dedicated safe routes,” according to Esterhuizen.

The institution said it maintained strong working relationships with local law enforcement and community projects like Jozi My Jozi to address off-campus safety concerns.

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UJ’s miscellaneous student challenges

Housing remains a persistent challenge, with many students forced into overcrowded or poorly maintained private accommodations due to limited capacity in university-owned residences.

“Additionally, university-owned residences have limited capacity, leaving many students on long waiting lists, particularly first-year and international students.”

According to Esterhuizen, the university conducts thorough inspections of off-campus housing before accreditation and performs regular follow-ups to ensure standards are maintained.

He also said UJ was working to establish future projects that expand on-campus accommodation capacity.

Despite satisfaction with teaching quality, students have expressed concerns over limited academic resources and large class sizes that hinder engagement.

Access to lecturers outside of class hours has also proven difficult, with technological barriers presenting additional challenges, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The university responded with laptop loan programs and expanded access to computer labs.

According to the student representative council, the ongoing water crisis in Johannesburg further complicated campus life, though the university said it implemented contingency measures.

“UJ has water tanks across campuses to maintain access during shortages and has purchased water tankers to ensure the ongoing movement of water to areas where it is needed,” Esterhuizen explained.

Campus social life, while generally vibrant with various student-run clubs and societies, faces criticism for limited event diversity and underrepresentation of certain student demographics in leadership roles.

The Soweto campus specifically faces additional challenges due to cable theft-related power outages that disrupt academic activities.

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