UKZN Student Leaders Threaten to Shut University Down Amid Accommodation Crisis, Want Students Assigned Beds

• UKZN student leaders have threatened to shut the University of KwaZulu-Natal down amind a student accommodation crisis
• First-year and return students have been forced to sleep in halls, corridors and classrooms after not being allocated accommodation
• The university claims it doesn't have enough space for the high influx of registered and unregistered students

DURBAN - Student leaders at the University of KwaZulu-Natal have vowed to shut the institution down as the accommodation crisis at the university deepens.

This comes as videos of pictures of countless students sleeping in halls, corridors and classrooms have circulated on social media.

The student leaders threatened to move forward with the shutdown until all the students are accommodated.

On Monday, 20 February, UKZN's student representative council (SRC) members held a demonstration in which classes were disrupted to address the issue, The Witness reported.

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UKZN claims it does not have enough accommodation to house all registered students

UKZN spokesperson Normah Zondo said the high number of enrollments at the university had created a challenge for the institution's administration because there are only 19 550 approved beds.

Zondo said UKZN can't cater to all the registered students in the university's residences.

Inamandla Mabunda, the KZN president of the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command, has accused the institution of lying about not having space, TimesLIVE reported.

EFF student leader accuses UKZN of lying about not having enough space

Mabunda said that not all the accommodation UKZN has to offer is occupied and students are tired of listening to the lies the university feeds them.

For Mabunda, the fact the students have been forced to sleep on floors and go without food poses a considerable safety risk, especially to female students who are vulnerable to gender-based violence and assault.

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The EFF student command KZN president said:

"We have to do what needs to be done to ensure that students are assisted.”

The university's spokesperson says that UKZN staff are doing everything possible to ensure all eligible students are registered and allocated accommodation.

Some returning students complained that they could not register because of historical debt. Other affected students are National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) beneficiaries waiting for the funding to be cleared.

South Africans divided by accommodation crisis at UKZN

While some South Africans believe that the unaccommodated UKZN students are being mistreated, others claim they should have ensured they had accommodation before leaving home.

Below are some reactions:

@PossumCT suggested:

"How about they take out bank loans like we had to do as students? This expecting to be given everything is unsustainable."

@ubuqotho1 asked:

"Why are there so too many of them?"

@NondumisoManyo5 complained:

"This is so unfair!"

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@SmsBoss said:

"Most universities have huge amounts of land they can invite the private sector to partner with to do a build-let and handover."

@ST_Mahlangu demanded:

"Shut down the campus!!"

@MusiqWorks said:

"Curious. Did they secure accommodation before leaving their homes? From my experience, as a first-year student, chances of getting accommodation are slim unless it is private accommodation."

Struggling varsity student turns res room into spaza shop in inspiring TikTok video: “Destined for greatness”

In another story, Briefly News reported that a young Nigerian lady, @sandraodfrey, has gone online to share a short video of her coursemate, Prosper, who turned his room into a mini supermarket.

Filming the young man's room, the lady showed how a side of his wall has a tall shelf that houses many kinds of provisions.

He has the whole room stocked. The only place that seemed not to be cluttered with goods was his bed. Every other place has things for sale.

Source: Briefly News