Editor
On allegations that the Emnambithi FET College has not done enough to provide accommodation for students studying at its Estcourt Campus:
1. This college has a large rural catchment and aims to accommodate students from rural areas as far as possible.
2. The college is short of money and is presently running at a deficit. The NSFAS student funding does not provide enough per student to cover the full costs of accommodation and transport.
3. At Estcourt we advertised for proposals for providing student accommodation and the applications were considered by our regular procurement college committees using the supply chain management procedures, which are in line with the requirements of the PFMA.
4. We received three applications from service providers in the town of Estcourt:
a) Estcourt High School
b) Sunrise Hotel and
c) Val-U-Lodge.
5. All three are credible service providers.
The costs per student were cheaper at Estcourt High School and Sunrise Hotel, who between them could accommodate all the students we could afford to pay for.
The College therefore made agreements with these two service providers and not Val-U-Lodge.
6. The student’s selection criteria were as follows:
· Means test results determining getting/not getting bursary in terms of the student’s financial needs
· Good academic performance
· Home over 40kms away from college
· First come first served principle for all students
· Cut off date January 20, 2014
7. Looking at the NSFAS guidelines, it is evident that not everyone seeking accommodation will get it.
It is therefore up to an unsuccessful student, and his/her family, to decide what to do – e.g. wait till next year, look for somewhere to stay in town with friends, or seek part-time employment.
The college can’t help students in this matter other than offer advice from our Student Support Services.
8. On a programme screened on DSTV ANN7 channel 405 on Monday May 19, some students alleged that some politicians had made promises to force management to provide extra accommodation but without results.
9. We don’t know what students may have been promised and have no control over local or other stakeholders.
We can promise the community and the country that this college, like other institutions, is subject to the Public Finance Management Act and will not do anything financially illegal.
10. The college does not have a contract with Val-U- Lodge for the period February to November 2014 and the college is not aware how the students gained entry into Val-U- Lodge.
11. Stakeholders intervened and could not understand why the college was not taking responsibility of the students who had placed themselves at Val-U-Lodge.
The situation got out of hand and the college was forced to pay for the stay of students from February to 20 March 2014.
12. Attempts were made to correct the situation by looking into the status of the students that are at Val-U- Lodge and we identified that they were in fact returning students with a good academic record that needed to be given preference.
These students were offered alternative accommodation at the Estcourt High School/Sunrise Hotel premises, but they refused to move.
13. The relevant structures were consulted from the onset and the students were informed in the form of telephone calls and text messages regarding their bursary applications and applicable accommodation.
14. The college has lists of students that are accommodated at the two establishments in Estcourt where we have contracts and an audit has been done to verify the legitimacy of the students that are accommodated in them.
15. We only learnt in the media that female students had resorted to unacceptable behaviour to get financial assistance from people that are abusing the unpalatable situation at hand.
16. At all times, despite a shortage of senior management staff at the college, the college has tried to provide education to as many students as possible and to be an efficient and effective organisation.
This aim will not change.
DM Dlamini
Acting Principal