Late BCM payment saves the day for bursary holder

FIRST-YEAR student Sandisiwe Booi, who thought her dream of becoming an architect was over when Buffalo City Metro failed to pay her mayoral bursary for months, will now be able to carry on with her studies.

The city was supposed to have paid the R71 000 bursary to the Nelson Mandela University in April for her studies but failed to do so, resulting in her account falling into arrears.

Booi was among 13 BCM bursary holders whose future was hanging by a thread after the metro failed to settle their student debts as agreed earlier in the year.

Booi’s mother, Nombulelo Booi of Mdantsane, blew the whistle on Wednesday after her daughter informed her they were being threatened with eviction from the residence if their accounts were not up to date.

This was after they learnt after the June holidays that their meal cards had been deactivated because of the unpaid debt.

The former Hudson Park pupil said she first learnt about the funding crisis when she visited the library to print a project in April.

Her parents managed to have the food allowance debacle sorted but her fees remained unpaid.

Just three hours after the Dispatch sent questions to BCM spokesman Samnkelo Ngwenya inquiring about the non-payment, Booi received an e-mail from BCM’s head of special programmes Shaun Petzer with confirmation of payment.

She said she was relieved that the metro had paid as she would be able to continue with her studies free of financial stress.

Ngwenya pleaded with the beneficiaries to be patient, saying the non-payment was a “misunderstanding”.

He said payments overlapped because financial years for municipalities and universities were at different periods.

“We negotiate these aspects with all respective universities including Nelson Mandela University.

“It is shocking that there is suddenly such an allegation [that the metro fails to pays for its students] based on a single case of a student that has since been resolved.” —