Desperate accommodation providers to the University of Johannesburg have written to the institution pleading with it to speed up the process of reviewing applications for accreditation, conducting inspections and re-inspections and reviewing appeals.
A dejected accommodation provider said he has been in limbo regarding his appeal for accreditation for the 2022 and 2023 academic years while
Posa failed to honour its re-inspection appointments.
In one of the correspondences to Posa, the landlord wrote that they did not receive further communication from UJ following an inspection of their accommodation premises in March 2022.
Last year, as the correspondence showed, was an even harder year for the landlord who complained that new defects were being identified when representatives from Posa visited the building for an inspection for accreditation for the 2023 academic year.
“We fixed [the new defects] as well. We have fully complied with all instructions and fail to understand why we are being victimised in this manner,” the landlord said.
Sunday World has seen a list of about 60 accommodation providers who are awaiting a decision on accreditation appeals. Another accommodation provider who is owed more than R29-million for two academic years is also awaiting a decision on two premises.
“As accommodation owner with over 300 beds housing students for the 2023 academic year and your accommodation is rejected in October, a month left before the academic year ends, what do you do?” asked another accommodation owner who has incurred a loss of more than R14.5-million a year.
On its website, UJ said it has a bed capacity of about 33 500 in university-owned and managed residences, and in accredited privately owned student accommodation. “UJ residences have 7 494 beds while privately owned student accommodation yields about 26 000 beds,” it says.
