Students squat in residences

Thousands of students are “squatting” with fellow students in residences at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) TVET College in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape due to lack of student accommodation.

The situation has shocked members of the portfolio committee on higher education and training who visited the two institutions as part of the committee’s week-long oversight tour.

The committee’s report paints a sad picture of students crammed in residences because the institutions have a shortage of student accommodation.

In a post-visit report, the committee said three to four students at the WSU’s Nelson Mandela Campus share a single room due to limited student accommodation and the “non-existence of access controls in the student residences”.

The committee was tipped off by the institutions’ student representative councils (SRC), National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), who were all concerned about overcrowding and a lack of maintenance of residences.

The SRC at WSU told The Citizen they had been complaining about the situation since 2013.

“We still don’t believe management has done anything to address the matter,” said SRC president Siphelo Mkhuzangwe.

He says all issues relating to student development at the university have stalled because of a “communications breakdown” between the students and management.

“The students rely on private accommodation because in university residences people are squatting because of this crisis,” Mkhuzangwe said.

Committee chairperson Connie September said they had witnessed the decaying of the residences, lecture rooms and recreational facilities – something that posed a great challenge to student development.

She said the situation also affects Zamukulungisa campus in Mthatha, where students also squat with other students.

“It is imperative that all stakeholders find a way to address the issues at WSU,” September said.

The committee also noticed the squatting problem at KSD TVET College, where studentscomplained about a monthly fee of R500 paid towards accommodation as many families could not afford it.

Students were also frustrated by lack of funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, resulting in some dropping out. September instructed both parties to provide the committee with a report by Sunday.

WSU vice-chancellor Professor Rob Midgley acknowledged the “backlog” faced by the university and said there were plans in place to expand student accommodation. The committee is expected to table its report to parliament soon.

– jenniffero@citizen.co.za

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