Hundreds of students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus said they’ve been stranded for almost a month without accommodation.

Students from as far as Cape Town said they came to campus after being accepted by the university and given permission to be on campus.

Accommodation a challenge 

UKZN student representative council (SRC) president Malusi Zuma said 277 registered students spent a night outside the gates of the institution on Wednesday because there were no spaces available for them.

Zuma said the SRC had confirmed that the registered first-year students did have access permits.

“We have appealed to the university management that they must identify more spaces/residences and beds within our existing buildings to assist our first-year students.”

A university employee, who did not want to be named, said the housing department wasn’t functioning at all.

He said the students had registered, and their offers had included accommodation.

He said when the students got to the housing department, they were told that no spaces were available.

“Housing did not provide temporary residences to these students, they closed their doors and left.

“There was no place where the SRC could take the students and the choice they had was to sleep at the gate,” he said.

He also added that they had been working hard to get food for the students.

UKZN executive director of corporate relations, Normah Zondo, said student residence accommodation was full to capacity.

“Thus, no new students can be allocated a place at the residences due to this limitation. This has been communicated to all students.”

Consider Alternatives

Zondo said students who had been allocated a place in university residences were notified via SMS and sent an email of their status.

“The staff at the department of student residence affairs (DSRA) are working tirelessly to contact first-time entering new students who have been allocated accommodation to provide them with assistance on the processes to follow after the allocation,” said Zondo.

She advised that students who hadn’t yet received official communication confirming allocation in residences to consider alternative options, like private accommodation.

She further indicated that the DSRA offices at its Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses were closed to ensure safety of staff members and property following recent acts of violence and intimidation at the two campuses.

She said: “On Wednesday, staff members were held hostage at the Pietermaritzburg campus when approximately 100 individuals stormed the DSRA offices on campus. The group allegedly threatened staff members and effectively held them hostage by refusing to allow them to leave the building.“

Zondo added that the incident led to the disruption in the placement of registered students at university residences.

She said these actions prejudiced some students, as the affected staff members couldn’t continue with their duties after the incident.

Students however dismissed the allegations that they held staff members hostage. They said they were only asking them for assistance.

Students Given Admission Without Accomodation

Paulinah Lepheana, from Cape Town, said she has been in Pietermarizburg trying to find accommodation from the university for almost a month. “I was accepted and was also granted a permit to be at the campus. When I arrived, I was told there was no accommodation allocated for me and I’ve been trying to find assistance since,” said Lepheana.

She added she was currently sharing a room with one of the students who had been allocated accommodation.

She added:“I could tell she’s no longer comfortable with me around for this long, and don’t blame her. I also want to give her the space she needs because it’s not her problem.”

Sithembele Xulu from Richards Bay said after receiving permits to be on campus, their understanding was that they had to be on campus to sort out their accommodation.

“We were given permits to be on campus and thought our accommodation was also sorted. I’ve been here since Friday and had to share a room with one of the students I know. I had to sleep at the main gate with others on Wednesday,” Xulu said.

He added there was nothing they could do but to continue sleeping outside campus since they did not have money to go back home.

“We are also missing out on studies and there will be tests soon,” he said.