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By Lungile Ntimba
Higher Education Portfolio Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie has expressed deep concern over the ongoing accommodation challenges at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Nelson Mandela University (NMU).
Hundreds of students have been left desperate and forced to find shelter wherever possible.
“The scenes at CPUT and NMU are deeply troubling, particularly following the committee’s recent oversight visits to institutions in North West and Gauteng provinces to assess readiness for the 2025 academic year,” Letsie said.
“While institutions assured the committee of their preparedness, the current crisis underscores the urgent need for greater scrutiny of these assurances.”
He said the systemic failure to address recurring student accommodation shortages reflected a broader institutional and governmental neglect of student welfare.
The chairperson condemned the involvement of private security forces at CPUT, which resulted in violent clashes and injuries to students.
He emphasised that the use of excessive force was unacceptable.
“Security personnel must prioritise de-escalation and protection, not repression. Students advocating for their right to education deserve empathy, not violence,” Letsie added.
This comes after a video was posted on social media on Sunday night showing security guards and students engaging in a physical struggle at the District Six campus’ parking garage.
The situation escalated on Monday afternoon, with police deploying a water cannon against what they described as “riotous students”.
Students claimed they were also tear gassed.
Some media reported that students set the administrative area of the university alight and threw stones at windows.
Provincial police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed that police were injured during the protest and a 20-year-old man was arrested for public violence.
Meanwhile, students at the University of Free State engaged in a protest on Tuesday, airing several grievances.
They included issues over National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (Nsfas) allocations and appeals, students unable to add more modules to their timetable, student debt and provisional registration.
INSIDE EDUCATION