Pretoria - Sugar daddies daddies who prowl the city’s tertiary institutions searching for vulnerable young women should look elsewhere for sexual pleasures and allow students to pursue their goals.
Youth movements under the Progressive Youth Alliance banner said sugar daddies posed a challenge and were a common sight in the city’s northern region, including Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa, where there was a high number of vulnerable girls.
Alliance spokesman Ezra Letsoalo said the girls came to the city in pursuit of education and urged older men to leave them alone.
“The sugar daddies carry deadly diseases and promise a better life. They take advantage of problems often encountered by prospective students during the registration period such as a lack of transport and accommodation,” he said.
“We equally urge young women to be vigilant and contact us should they need assistance. We have a presence in all educational institutions across the city.”
The matter dominated discussions on Sunday during the first meeting of the year of the Progressive Youth Alliance Tshwane region – ANC Youth League, SA Students’ Congress and the Young Communist League.
Letsoalo said discussions centred on mapping out a way to tackle recurring issues affecting young people in the education sector.
He said the alliance acknowledged economic conditions played a role when older men took advantage of the girls, some of whom come from poor areas outside Gauteng.
Female students should heed the warning that the intention of these men is not to assist with necessities such as food, accommodation and transport, but to exploit them, said Letsoalo.
The alliance deployed officials to raise awareness of this form of exploitation, he said.
The officials will, when required and where possible, facilitate funding for needy students and find them accommodation during the registration period.
Willing families near institutions of higher learning will be asked to host students. Municipal facilities such as halls may also be used, with permission from the City of Tshwane.
”We have committed to intensify the provision of assistance to students around academic, financial, accommodation and other related matters.
“During this period, we will strive to ensure that no student is turned away owing to financial constraints or lack of accommodation, and we are also on the lookout for fly-by-night institutions which continue to mushroom in the city.”
Pretoria News