Dozens of students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Bellville, Cape Town say they have been forced to sleep outside the entrance gates of the university because they do not have accommodation.
Students say they were forcefully removed from the student centre, where they were being housed temporarily.
CPUT student, Nthabile Jazi says, “My classes are continuing as I am speaking with you. I have a class on system analysis right now as I am speaking with you. My colleagues are in the class but I can’t go there because I didn’t take a bath, I haven’t eaten. I sleep outside the gate, they’ve removed us.”
University Spokesperson Lauren Kansley says the institution receives thousands of applications for university housing annually, but cannot house every applicant.
Kansley says the university is proceeding with a vetting process to assess if all the students who have been requesting temporary accommodation are registered with the university.
She says, “What we see at the beginning of every academic year is an influx of applicants hoping to come to clarify their status within the institution as a student. So, the reason you see a lot of bags outside is because we are only allowing students who have an actual registration and an application positive result to come within the gates.”
VIDEO: Prospective CPUT students in Cape Town sleeping in hall, streets:
