Lungani Zungu
When Yonwabo Manyanya was kicked out of her room because she couldn’t afford her rent, she joined 30 other students sleeping outside the eThekwini TVET College gate in Durban for three days.
And now she is dead.
Yonwabo, 26, and her fellow students have not received their monthly allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) since February.
After months of not paying rent, her landlord evicted her three weeks ago.
She could not afford to go back home to the Eastern Cape but, until last week, she managed to get by staying with other students. When this was no longer an option, she had little choice but to brave the elements outside campus.
Her family and friends claim she became ill after sleeping outside.
Her aunt, Nomzamo Manyanya Nomzamo, said that if NSFAS had paid the allowances her niece would be alive.
“She called me last week and told me that she was not feeling well after sleeping outside,” she told Scrolla.Africa.
She said Yonwabo had asthma as a child.
She said the family planned to bury her this weekend.
Nomusa Ngcobo, a friend who was with Yonwabo in her final moments, echoed the aunt’s complaints. She believes that her friend wouldn’t have died if she could have afforded her rent.
“She complained about feeling cold and having a blocked chest last week, and we told her to go to the clinic.”
Nomusa said that Yonwabo had been planning to go to the clinic when she died on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the MEC for Education in KZN, Kwazi Mshengu, met with campus management and representatives from NSFAS in order to find a solution to end the impasse at the campus which has been ongoing for three weeks.
Nkosinathi Mchunu, principal of the campus, told Scrolla.Africa that it was untrue that Yonwabo had died after sleeping outside.
However, he acknowledged that his campus was plagued by NSFAS challenges.
“The scheme is working hard to resolve the matter. We are not happy that some students have not been paid since February.”
The police confirmed the death but said no case had been opened.
