By Buziwe Nocuze
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Cape Town has been accused of putting students’ lives at risk.
In a video that went viral, university security personnel can be seen pushing a student with his bags and forcing him to enter a vehicle allegedly belonging to a security company. It is not known where the vehicle took him.
A student speaking anonymously said her accommodation status at the university is pending.
“The university is failing us. We are sleeping on the street. We are not safe and all the university is doing is chasing us away. Why can’t they quickly solve the accommodation issues? It is their fault that we have nowhere to sleep,” said the student.
“We were shocked to hear them saying we are trespassing, even though we have proof of registration. We want education, not the struggle we are having now.”
A student from the Eastern Cape said if her home were closer she would’ve gone back and waited there.
“This is not safe, but what other choice do we have? We don’t have money to go home or pay for hotels. The university tells us to look for private residences. Where are we going to get the money to pay for those private residences?”
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said: “Those are not our students. They may be individuals who are applicants, but we have placed legitimate students.”
She said the university has one of the most ambitious campus housing programmes in South Africa.
“We bolstered our campus housing offerings by close to 2,000 beds for 2024, taking our accredited residencies to 15,300 beds,” said Kansley.
“When you add unaccredited residents we are looking at closer to 20,000 beds. That’s more than the demand that legitimate and residence-approved CPUT students would require.”
She said applicants without residence placement or academic clearance often arrive at the start of the academic year, demanding to be placed.
“This is further fuelled by political structures who encourage these individuals to squat and protest to boost their structures,” said Kansley.
Despite these challenges on the campus, Kansley said staff are working around the clock to place eligible applicants.
“To date, we have vetted over 1,000 walk-ins and placed hundreds of them in emergency housing. If anyone is being asked to vacate premises it is because they are not eligible for residence or to study at CPUT because of poor results,” said Kansley.
Pictured above: CPUT has been blamed for allegedly chasing their students away.
Image source: Supplied
