The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) in KwaZulu-Natal welcomes the swift relocation of students from substandard off-campus housing at Umfolozi TVET College’s Nkandla Campus to safer accommodation, following DASO’s oversight visit last month which exposed the appalling living conditions.
During an oversight visit to the campus’ internal residences and two privately operated student hostels outside of the campus, DASO identified broken infrastructure, cramped living conditions, a lack of security, and general unsafe conditions at the external facilities.
At the most appalling external accomodation, we found that NSFAS was paying R3000 per student for two students to share a tiny room with no running water, broken windows, no security, and broken communal showers – to name a few. Our intervention compelled the University and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to act immediately—students were moved from the worst-off building, and that residence is now undergoing full refurbishment and upgrades.
DASO will maintain regular inspections of student accommodation across KZN to ensure no learner is exploited for profit by unscrupulous service providers. We are determined to expose every facility where safety or dignity is compromised, and to hold landlords and operators to account.
Nationally, the DA has launched a campaign to end the student accommodation crisis. If you’re a student living in unsafe or unfit conditions, share your story via our portal at https://FixStudentRes.da.org.za and help us shine a light on the real challenges you face.
No student must be left behind. DASO and the DA will continue fighting for safe, dignified housing so that every learner can pursue their studies in an environment that supports—not undermines—their success.