A blind student from the Tshwane University of Technology has been left stranded after the institution failed to allocate him a room in a residence because of NSFAS delays.
Mpho Mshanga said he had applied for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme this year but was yet to receive feedback on whether they would pay for his fees and residence.
In the meantime‚ Mshanga‚ from Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal‚ cannot be allocated a room.
He was one of scores of students squatting in fellow students’ rooms while they waited for their situation to be resolved. “But we were forced out of the campus by security guards who say they don’t want squatters‚” said Mshanga.
On Wednesday‚ a Facebook post appealed for Mshanga to be helped.
“At the moment‚ I am being housed by a woman from Wonder Park. I think she heard about me on the radio‚” he told TMG Digital.
He was still trying to work out what he would do if NSFAS did not approve his funding application.
“There is a man who has offered me accommodation in Sunnyside‚ but we will see‚” Mshanga said.
“They used to give students with disabilities preference and they would accommodate us at the residences. I have no idea what changed this year‚” said the second-year sports management student.
He says he is not the only disabled student affected by NSFAS application delays.
“There are many of us. I have a friend‚ who isn’t at TUT‚ going through the same thing‚” Mshanga said.
Students at TUT’s main campus embarked on a strike on Wednesday in protest against residence issues.
They criticised the university for not failing to put policies in place which would allow for their NSFAS grants to be used to pay for private off-campus residences‚ as many of the thousands of students registered at TUT fail to secure accommodation on campus because of the lack of space.
Mshanga said as a blind student‚ it was frightening to be on campus during the strikes.
“It affects me badly when there is strike‚” he said.
“It’s because when the people run‚ you don’t know where to run. You don’t even know which side the violence is coming from‚” he said.
TUT issued a statement on Wednesday saying all classes and exit exams would continue as planned today.
Mshanga said he would remain off campus until he was sure the strike had halted.
Blind student stranded amid TUT residence turmoil
A blind student from the Tshwane University of Technology has been left stranded after the institution failed to allocate him a room in a residence because of NSFAS delays.
Mpho Mshanga said he had applied for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme this year but was yet to receive feedback on whether they would pay for his fees and residence.
In the meantime‚ Mshanga‚ from Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal‚ cannot be allocated a room.
He was one of scores of students squatting in fellow students’ rooms while they waited for their situation to be resolved. “But we were forced out of the campus by security guards who say they don’t want squatters‚” said Mshanga.
On Wednesday‚ a Facebook post appealed for Mshanga to be helped.
“At the moment‚ I am being housed by a woman from Wonder Park. I think she heard about me on the radio‚” he told TMG Digital.
He was still trying to work out what he would do if NSFAS did not approve his funding application.
“There is a man who has offered me accommodation in Sunnyside‚ but we will see‚” Mshanga said.
“They used to give students with disabilities preference and they would accommodate us at the residences. I have no idea what changed this year‚” said the second-year sports management student.
He says he is not the only disabled student affected by NSFAS application delays.
“There are many of us. I have a friend‚ who isn’t at TUT‚ going through the same thing‚” Mshanga said.
Students at TUT’s main campus embarked on a strike on Wednesday in protest against residence issues.
They criticised the university for not failing to put policies in place which would allow for their NSFAS grants to be used to pay for private off-campus residences‚ as many of the thousands of students registered at TUT fail to secure accommodation on campus because of the lack of space.
Mshanga said as a blind student‚ it was frightening to be on campus during the strikes.
“It affects me badly when there is strike‚” he said.
“It’s because when the people run‚ you don’t know where to run. You don’t even know which side the violence is coming from‚” he said.
TUT issued a statement on Wednesday saying all classes and exit exams would continue as planned today.
Mshanga said he would remain off campus until he was sure the strike had halted.
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