Cape Town (South Africa) – As a result of a lack of available housing, many Cape University of Technology students have been forced to sleep at the institution’s Student Centre, which has become their home for the first few weeks of the new academic year.
The university’s District Six campus has played host to more than 100 students, many of whom are first-year students, who have been forced to sleep on the floor, stairs, and benches in the center of the building for the previous two weeks.
During the early hours, students line up to take a shower at the nearest on-campus homes before heading to class.
When senior students return to college in the near future, the housing situation is expected to deteriorate even worse.
The university said that the number of beds in its homes had decreased from 13 000 last year to slightly more than 12 750 this year. This, they said, was due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown on the service providers in the area.
Universities were forced to close as a result of the epidemic; students were sent home, and lectures were delivered through the internet. The service providers — those who supply the university with housing – were harmed as a result of this.
From 8 000 in 2018/19 to 10 000 in 2019/20, according to CPUT spokeswoman Lauren Kansley, the university has expanded its number of beds by 40%.
Her statement said that housing placement officers had been attempting to assist the kids.
Students said that the police were kind and helpful on the first day, handing them paperwork to fill out with their personal information. After that, they were informed that they would have to wait one day before being assigned to a housing unit.
However, several students stated that they had gotten no more information since then, while others said that their status on the CPUT website regarding housing was still pending.
A 19-year-old student from Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape, who begged not to be identified for fear of being victimized, claimed she had applied for a Bachelor of Education degree at a university in the province. As soon as she arrived, she was informed by the placement authorities that she would have to spend the night at the center since she had not followed the proper protocol when requesting for a spot in the residential building.
We are not allowed to sleep on the floor, which I do not understand.” We have to wait in lengthy lines to take a shower, and our possessions are not secure. “We all charge our phones in wall outlets, and it’s possible that someone may take them.”
She said that the mishap with her accommodations had tempered her enthusiasm.
“I am no longer enthusiastic about attending university since I had assumed that, as a result of my extended travels, I would be well taken care of. It has been brought to our attention by others that there are houses that have available places,” she stated.
After being approved for an advanced certificate in internal auditing at the University of the Eastern Cape, Sihle Ndeleni, 18, from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, said she came in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Her course had started, and she had completed her first exam on Friday, as well as two assignments that were due the following week.
“I’m falling farther and further behind in the lessons. “I’m also concerned about the possibility of becoming ill while sleeping on the floor,” she said.
Ndeleni said that the institution did not have a catch-up strategy in place for students who were unable to attend courses or submit work as a result of housing issues.
Avela Tshoba, a student from the Eastern Cape who is enrolled in a human resource programme, complained that part of her lessons were conducted online and that the internet at the center was sluggish. She said that she was hungry and exhausted.
In her application, Ayakha Mthuzula, 19, from Dutywa in the Eastern Cape, said that she had marked a box that indicated she would be provided with accommodation.
“I was under the impression that I had submitted an application for residency. It was explained to me by (placement authorities) that kids who sleep at the center get aid. “I have already submitted my information three times,” she said.
Several students from Bizana have said that they had de-registered in the hopes of returning home to the Eastern Cape. She said that she had ran out of money since she needed to purchase fast food on a daily basis.
Nanga Codana, president of the student representative council (SRC), has called on the institution to provide additional housing for students on campus.
Zimasa Pama, the school Student Representative Council (SRC) secretary, said that the difficulty with student housing was a reoccurring issue that was created by misunderstanding with the application procedure. In addition, there were not enough placement officers.
According to a student representative for the Pan Africanist Students Movement of Azania, the number of students seeking housing is expected to increase as a result of the large number of senior returning students who are not placed.
The EFF Student Command said that they had reached the end of their tolerance and were contemplating “shutting down” the school.
Source:https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/cput-students-left-without-accommodation-040ea656-8a53-4ba9-ba9a-ebcd9c666612
Content created and supplied by: WHITEMANCONFESSION (via Opera
News )
, . , . () , , , , , , , , . / , and/or . , , and/or , and/or