Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande on Wednesday condemned the torching of students’ private accommodation at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT).
The minister also requested the VUT management to provide him with a full report on the developments at the university.
“I appeal to the university management, student leadership and the private accommodation landlords to swiftly resolve their impasse without any further delay,” said Nzimande.
“Government cannot and will not tolerate the threat to lives and destruction of property, and requests the landlords to tighten up security at their residences in order to ensure the safety of all students and workers.”
Nzimande said arson, vandalism and intimidation does not justify and cannot be associated with any legitimate forms of protest.
“In order to deal with students’ private accommodation challenges, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme [NSFAS] will roll out a student accommodation portal that will ensure efficiency in areas such as grading and accreditation of accommodation, costs, paying of private accommodation providers, small accommodation providers [backrooms], and increased student accommodation capacity in the 2023 academic year.”
The drama is believed to have started after a disagreement between the student leadership, university management, and the landlords of the university’s private accommodation on Tuesday.
One of the students, who refused to be identified, told Sunday World: “There was a serious altercation with the university management and the landlords, where some of the students felt that they were being treated unfairly by the owners of the residences they are using.
“This whole thing escalated into chaos where properties were vandalized and torched. It was a messy situation, as the students went on a rampage and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on.”
Nzimande added that the process to increase the capacity of accreditation providers is also under way, and asked that the university “must immediately work with NSFAS in all the processes to deal with accommodation challenges, especially for those students who are funded by NSFAS.”
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