Durban - ABOUT 30 Mnambithi FET College students slept in the corridors of a radio station on Tuesday night after they were locked out by their landlords for failing to pay their monthly rent.
The students are blaming the college for their plight after their applications for funding were allegedly not processed nor forwarded to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) nationally. The college has five campuses in Ladysmith, Ezakheni A, B and E sections, and Estcourt.
The students, who did not want to be named, told the Daily News they were renting in private households in various parts of Ladysmith.
“We have not been paying rent for three months, some of us for longer than that. We submitted our applications for NSFAS and responses to these applications took longer than usual, and we thought it was because of the lockdown.
“Last month, some of us couldn’t afford to pay. Some of us were paying half the normal rent and things took a turn yesterday, when some of us found that our rooms were locked and landlords demanded rent money.
“When we inquired with NSFAS nationally, we were shocked to hear that our applications were never received,” said one student.
The amounts owed in rent vary between R1500 and R2000, as some were paying smaller amounts from their own pockets while waiting for their applications to be approved. The rental ranges between R700 and R1000. “My grandmother would borrow money from a loan shark for me to pay part of the rent since January and that didn’t work out for her because she also has to buy groceries from the pension she receives. Our belongings have been locked in the cottages since Monday and appeals to our landlord fell on deaf ears. We are all victims in this situation. What’s worse is that the college doesn’t explain to us why our applications have not been submitted to NSFAS,” said another student, who rents a cottage in Steadville.
His landlord, who only identified himself by his surname Mbanjwa, said he felt for the students.
“I have been accepting any amount these students have been giving me but now that doesn’t help me. They begged me to give them their belongings but I gave them only the essentials and the rest are locked in their cottages until I get the outstanding amounts they owe,” Mbanjwa said.
Central student representative council president Xolani Sibisi said they have resolved to see how the affected students could be assisted.
NSFAS media liaison officer Phatisa Ntloze said the fund only processes allowances once registration data has been received from the institution.
Beatrice Mpangase, deputy principal: academic services, said: “The college met affected students on September 1, and deliberated on the matter at hand. Unfortunately, the college has no control on the disbursements of NSFAS allowance to students; these are deposited directly from NSFAS to the student accounts.”
Daily News