SMU students shut down university as they protest over accommodation

The management of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) has put its foot down after students demanded the university extend the contracts of three student accommodations.

On Tuesday students attempted closing the university entrance demanding management renew the contracts of Tshwane Varsity Lodge (TVL), The Heights and Drie Lillies.

Chairperson of TVL residence Lehlohonolo Ramoipone said they are unhappy with management’s decisions to make them vacate these residences.

Ramoipone said the residences are a comfortable space for students and they enjoy staying in them.

“They are a home away from home. We were not consulted about vacating the accommodations, since these students are primary stakeholders, they must have consulted them about the move and then show them the proposed places.”

Ramoipane said the students demand that management renew the contracts for these three accommodation residences for three years.

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He said there would be huge financial implications for students if they were moved from their current places.

“Currently the residence we are occupying give us fridges for two people, we have induction stoves, induction pots, a microwave and kettle. If students have to vacate within two months, it will affect them because we have to procure those things.

“Most of the students are funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), so it is going to affect them financially. How will a student who get R1 500 every month be able to buy a fridge which costs more than R2 000?

“We come from disadvantaged families.”

Ramoipone said some of the proposed places are near where a lot of prostitution takes place.

“Last year or the year before, students were removed from the same residence they want us to move to. They were saying that they did not comply with the laws and standards the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

“I don’t know what makes them want to take us back,” he said.

“The other thing is that those residences are very far, some of them are over 40km from the campus in Ga-Rankuwa and according to the laws and standards of DHET, we must reside in a residence that is in a radius of 20km. Currently, we live about 23km or 24km away from campus but now they want us to move even further.

“This will affect students psychologically to having to adapt to a new environment. Time management is also a factor because we will spend more time on the road. Currently we spend about 45 minutes from where we are to campus, so moving there, we will spend more time on the road.”

SMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Mbati said management received a set of demands from students residing at university-leased off-campus residences TVL, The Heights and Drie Lillies.

“The main demand raised is that students should continue to reside at these facilities whose contract with the university expires at the end of 2021.

“The university has established a panel of Accommodation Service Providers for student residences, after following due process as prescribed in its Supply Chain Management (SCM) policy. The three providers mentioned above, did not to meet the threshold requirements indicated in the specifications as evidenced during the evaluation of the bids,” Mbati said.

“Management remains of the firm view that the demand that students be allowed to stay in the university-leased student accommodation facilities beyond the expiry of the signed agreement cannot be acceded to.

Mbati said the student accommodation facilities did not fully comply with the minimum norms and standards for student accommodation as set out in the DHET policy.

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“Allowing students to stay in these facilities beyond the expiry date of the existing agreement is illegal, and could, in all probability, pose serious legal risks to the university.

“Management has a responsibility to ensure it complies fully with its own policies and with all the applicable legislation and regulatory frameworks as set out by DHET.

“It would be irresponsible of management, simply because students tell it to do so. If it were to do so, it would deliberately have failed to pass the basic public accountability test, particularly if any life-threatening or life-taking incident to a student were to occur at any of these facilities.”

Mbati said students who choose to remain at TVL, the Heights and Drie Lillies beyond the expiry of the existing contract, should do so on their own accord, by entering and signing a lease agreement individually with any of the providers, without the involvement of the university.

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