The Democratic Alliance has called for an urgent forensic investigation into corrupt practices in residences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and other universities.

DA shadow minister for higher education and training Belinda Bozzoli said on Sunday that during a visit to CPUT by a parliamentary portfolio committee on Wednesday‚ the university’s acting vice-chancellor‚ Dr Chris Nhlapo‚ had said “the residence system is riddled with corruption from top to bottom”.

“We commend Dr Nhlapo’s commitment to ending the corrupt system‚ but without a nationwide‚ multi-pronged approach‚ it will be hard to root this corruption out.

“Corrupt practices in residences draw resources and attention away from the genuine grievances of students who often do not have proper accommodation‚” Bozzoli said.

She added that some universities struggle to wrest control of residences away from criminals who have taken them over.

“The presence of corruption in university residences needs urgent forensic investigation at CPUT and other universities. The DA is determined to uncover these practices‚ and will fight to bring them to an end‚” she said.

“The DA calls on the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Council‚ with the help of the Department of Higher Education and Training‚ to decisively to stamp out corruption at its residences.”