Students’ shacks destroyed

TENSION arose between students and security staff at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Bellville when the guards demolished shacks they had built at the campus yesterday morning.

The four shacks were built to highlight their demand for accommodation at the university.

Some students had forced their way in and slept in the conference room for two weeks before they were evicted by management.

The leader of the SRC at CPUT, Sandile Ngcobo, said: “We don’t know when management is going to resolve this problem. We engaged with them, but nothing has been done… There are 400 beds at the back of the campus.

“Why don’t they accommodate the poor students?”

The university’s spokesperson, Lauren Kansley, said CPUT’s Dean of Students, Prem Coopoo, had been tirelessly meeting students to accommodate those who are eligible, applied on time and are genuinely in need.

“CPUT vice-chancellor, Dr Chris Nhlapo, announced a task team to look at student housing and visited residences last week.

“The real affected parties are students who have applied on time and are being denied a space because late applicants expect to jump the queue.”

Meanwhile, the management at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is to meet the EFF student-led student representative council (SRC) tomorrow to discuss ways to resolve the volatile situation after a student was shot dead during a scuffle between protesting students and private security guards last Tuesday.