R2bn student debts, overcrowded kitchens and missing toilet seats: Inside parliament’s visit to TUT

Besides the countrywide plague of student debts and accommodation struggles, students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT] also face overcrowded kitchens and lecture halls and broken and incomplete infrastructure.

This was the finding of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education during a recent visit to the institution.

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Student debt and outcry over R240 registration fee

From 2017 to 2024, the National Student Debt grew from approximately R11 billion to approximately R17 billion, averaging an increase of R2 billion each year.

According to the portfolio chairperson Tebogo Letsie, student debt at TUT is estimated at R2 billion.

While students who owe the university can register, an R240 non-refundable registration fee has caused an outcry.

“The fee is a bit high, given that some of the prospective students are South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries and cannot afford to apply to many institutions to secure admission,” Letsie said.

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Accommodation struggles

Overcrowding was a constant challenge raised by the committee, with Letsi raising concern over the high ratio of students to lecturers and warning that it impacted the quality of teaching.

Outside the classroom, students at the Four Towers Residences dealt with crowded and inadequate public facilities. For example, 980 students share just one kitchen with 44 stove plates, translating to one for every 24 students.

The committee described this situation as “inadequate and unacceptable.”

“This needs to be expanded,” Letsie said.

Some toilets at Denise Residence also lacked seats, further exacerbating infrastructure concerns.

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Next steps remedies

Following the visit, the committee plans to engage with TUT and relevant stakeholders to monitor the implementation of its recommendations.

A report detailing its findings will be tabled in the National Assembly for debate and adoption.

The committee has also scheduled meetings with the Department of Higher Education and Training, Universities South Africa, Nsfas, and student organisations to discuss pressing challenges and policy solutions.

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