Residents fed up with college delinquents
Residents, who live along Tommy Boydel Street, say they are tired of college delinquents who drink, urinate and have sex along the fence that separates the college from their flats.
Barry Hertzog Park resident, Henry de Beer, feels college delinquents who are inebriated by 10am when they are supposed to be in class are a waste of taxpayers money.
Mr de Beer, whose property is situated alongside the Majuba College business campus says he has caught students drinking along the perimeter and throwing the bottles over the fence, while his wife, Monica, once caught a couple having intercourse in full view of the residents who live at the flats on Tommy Boydel Street.
“I just walked out here the other day and they were busy having sex in full view of everyone. I called the college to complain but when I got back out they were gone and I don’t who they were. I have also seen the girls just drop their pants, get into a squat and urinate here, and when I shout, they just disregard me,” complained Mrs de Beer.
Another resident, Maritha Odendaal, added, “There is a slight bank at the wire fence that separates the property and they get down the bank, under the tree thinking that if they are behind that bank then no one at the college can see them, but we can see them. There are old people and small children living here and they are exposed to this. It’s disgusting.”
Mr de Beer said the issue with the students’ behaviour has been a persistent problem that he first tried to tackle with the faculty management.
“I have called the college numerous times to complain but they claim not to be aware that there is a problem. Watching the students drinking wine and vodka and beer here last week and then just throwing the bottles over the fence made me reach my limits. A person can only take nonsense to a certain point. I understand that young people are growing up differently now, but surely there still limits to indecency,” he explained.
Safety manager at Majuba College, Pravin Sumair, said he had spoken to Mr de Beer telephonically last year, and encouraged him to assist the college pinpoint which students were problematic so that further action could be taken.
“I set up a meeting between Mr de Beer and the rector so he could present his case but Mr de Beer has not come in to speak to us at the college yet.
“In the meantime, I have doubled the security guards and asked them to walk along the perimeter and we are using surveillance cameras to monitor the situation. We have a zero per cent alcohol tolerance policy at the college and students who are caught with alcohol are suspended and requested to contact SANCA for counselling. We will, however, also look into replacing the wire fence with a wall to ensure that the residents alongside the college have more privacy,” said Mr Sumair.
He went on to explain that, regardless of a few students who threatened to taint the reputation of the college, the Majuba FET College was regarded internationally as an example for other college’s to follow.“With a student enrolment of 30 000 and a staff compliment of 700, we are one of the most successful colleges in terms of finance and administration and other colleges have sent delegations here to learn from us. We are also the only college in KwaZulu-Natal that has been audited by the National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) and holds a three star NOSA rating.”
