South Africans Outraged As CPUT Students Sleep Outside Campus, "Every Year Students Sleep Outside"

• CPUT students spent several nights sleeping on pavements outside the District Six campus in Cape Town due to a severe accommodation shortage that left dozens without beds
• University authorities temporarily housed 400 students on Monday, including those who had been camping outside, even though the facilities exceeded capacity
• Frustrated learners blamed poor leadership and planning for the chaos, a view that resonated widely and ignited outrage across South Africa

Students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology's District Six campus continue to face desperate circumstances as they sleep rough on pavements and in open areas near the university.

Videos circulating online capture exhausted young people wrapped in blankets, huddled with suitcases and bags, exposed to the elements.

Many have endured these conditions for nearly a week or more as the new semester begins.

The predicament the students are facing is not new, as they endured the same struggles last year, too.

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Students arriving from distant provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, or KwaZulu-Natal describe travelling long distances only to discover their residence applications remain pending or declined.

Concerns about personal safety dominate conversations, particularly for female students vulnerable to crime, cold Cape Town nights, and a lack of basic hygiene facilities.

The stress affects their ability to focus on studies, with classes already underway for returning students and first-years preparing to start soon.

The university previously gave reasons for its inability to house students.

The disturbing video was shared on TikTok. Watch it below:

Public outrage grows rapidly

South Africans expressed shock and anger as images and videos of students sleeping outside sparked widespread condemnation online.

Equally, many online criticised the students for insisting on going to university when they cannot afford it.

One user on TikTok, @DrJMabuzela, commented:

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"So every year CPUT pulls this stunt? Remove that administration one time. There’s no possible way."

Another user, @Thorisho, asked:

"But why go there if you are not admitted in any residence😔🤔?"

@Anelisiwe_p said:

"Guys, again! Why are they not providing temporary res?"

Another user, @DawndeVilliers, was harsher than most commenters. He stated:

"Everyone must pay for their own accommodation just like we do."

@TobiRama wrote:

"There's no more space. The university can't create miracles, guys."

@GerhardSmith added:

"Accommodation is the student's responsibility."

Another one, @ley_ley87, advised:

"Guys, please normalise looking for accommodation before going to uni in a province you don’t know 😭."

@Sharon raised questions:

"Do they have confirmed accommodation? What are they doing there?"

@DebbieLange12Flowers wrote:

"This is sad, but this is also why most of us didn't go and study back in the day. Our parents simply couldn't afford it. Others paid their own way, but they had to work all kinds of jobs. Very few of my class of '95 went to uni. Did we all want to go to university? Hell yes! My point is, if you can't afford it, why go there? I kind of understand if you can afford it. But these students don't look like they can afford even the basics."

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NSFAS changes the payment system for accommodations

In a previous report by Briefly News, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) introduced a new system, which has seen it pay accommodation money directly to service providers, effectively cutting the middleman.

NSFAS faced backlash over previous financial mismanagement and irregular appointments of service providers.

Source: Briefly News