Hostel horrors at north university campus

For the entire year, not a single exam at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University was written on the date it was scheduled to be written.

This as students at the Sefako Makgatho campus have taken to the streets twice this to protest the “horrendous conditions” at their hostels.

A student who wished to remain anonymous recently contacted Rekord regarding the daily struggles of students who lived in the hostels.

“At first I was frustrated every time a test would get postponed or when students strike,” the student told Rekord.

“We thought the students who lived in the hostels did not want to write a test because they did not want to study.”

Her perception, however, changed drastically when students who lived at the hostels told her about the terrible living conditions which was behind the protests.

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Out of the six hostels on the campus, only one of the hostels has been upgraded.

Male and female students live mixed in the hostels with showers that did not work.

There are only four showers for every passage with 22 students.

“In some passages, the showers are completely out of order. The students on that floor then needs to go shower on another floor, where only two showers are in working order,” the student said.

The student also said at times there was no hot water and the electricity to the hostels has in the past been off for two days at a time.

The kitchens in the hostels were not only dirty but also out of order.

“Students have to prepare food in their rooms. In July, one of the rooms caught fire and the student lost everything.”

Because the university is based in Ga-Rankuwa, students who live in the hostels do not have the luxury to simply buy takeaways or food for supper.

“The closest shop to buy proper food is a 20-minute walk from the campus.”

The student also said the hostel buildings were dilapidated with cracked foundations, walls, doors and broken windows.

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“The water pipes have burst and the tiles are falling off walls.”

A spokesperson for higher education, science and technology minister Ishmael Mnisi said the department was aware of the adverse conditions of student housing at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

“It was one of the issues raised by the student representative council during the meeting the minister had with the university council on 14 August 2019,” Mnisi said.

“While the department provides funding for infrastructure and sets policy guidelines for the governance and management of student housing, the university management is responsible for ensuring that student housing is properly managed and well-maintained.

“The department is also helping universities strengthen their capacity and processes to properly manage and maintain their infrastructure. However, it must be noted that student housing shortfalls in universities is a national problem and steps are being taken to address it.

“The department has a programme aimed at building accommodation for 200 000 students at universities over the next 10-15 years. This includes Sefako Makgatho University where a project for building accommodation for 2 000 students will start as soon as the necessary approvals have been obtained from the city of Tshwane,” Mnisi said.

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