Students claim university leaves them out in the cold
Girls claim they applied for registration at the university last year and received firm offers.
THREE young student applicants from the Manguzi area in KwaNganase blame the University of Zululand for ‘playing Russian roulette’ with their lives.
The girls claim they applied for registration at the university last year and received firm offers.
‘We received offers from the Faculty of Arts, and as soon as we received our matric results we came to the university to register,’ said one of the complainants.
Another said she arrived at the university on 8 January, was given a firm offer written on her statement of results, but when she searched for her registration status on the university database, her name didn’t appear.
The other two say they were told by Arts Faculty officials their spaces have been confirmed, but their names also didn’t appear on the database.
They claim many other students were also sent from pillar to post, until some of them gave up and went back home.
‘Arriving at the university we were accommodated on campus, but when the returning students arrived they removed us from the residence.
‘We have run out of money and food and we have no place to stay,’ the aspirant students said.
Apparently the SRC also tried to help, but kept them in limbo since they arrived on campus.
They claim to have heard rumours their places were exchanged for students who never applied, but that favouritism and even bribery rule, allegations confirmed by an SRC member.
University response
University of Zululand Deputy Vice Chancellor: Institutional Support, Prof Neil Garrod, said the university issues two offers.
‘One remains relevant for a specific duration of time, indicating a prospective student should register before a specified date, after which the offer lapses.
‘Prospective students’ payments to reserve a space also lapses if students do not register before registration deadlines.
‘A second general offer is issued after the lapse of the first one, whereby students register on a first come, first served basis.
‘If spaces are filled, the university will not be able to accommodate students. The university will however attempt to accommodate students in other programmes should they meet requirements.
‘The university is certainly not aware of any bribery practices to reserve spaces and will investigate the matter. We call on anyone with information of the alleged bribery to come forward with information,’ said Garrod.
