The Sol Plaatje University (SPU) management in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, has decided to end its contract with a catering company that supplies food to the students.
On Thursday, classes were suspended at the institution after students went on protest against the company. They accused it of serving them poor quality and expired foods.
Despite a lack of evidence that the food supplied by the caterers was a health risk, the university’s Vice Chancellor Yunnus Ballim says they had to act in the interest of their students.
“We will immediately shut down the kitchen so there will be no cooking in our campus and over the next two weeks, we will start arrangements for a new service provider to be brought in. We hope that early in June we will have a more permanent solution that addresses the concern that students raised.”
Student’s Representative Council (SRC) leader at the university Thabo Moilwa has welcomed management’s move. He’s urging students to go back to class on Monday and prepare for exams.
“We are very happy with the outcome because the university has decided to terminate the contract and provide food that is quality until we get a new service provider. I can’t say how many got sick because other cases weren’t reported and others were not.”
