Accommodation will honour the name of slain student
THE naming of student accommodation after a college student was killed in a rented room outside Polokwane last year has been mooted.
This was proposed yesterday when higher education and training portfolio committee chairperson Philemon Mapulane briefed the committee on the multi-billion student housing infrastructure project (SHIP).
The programme aims to build 300 000 beds at universities and TVET colleges over a period of 10 years, and blend both public and private funding, among other things.
Mapulane said Precious Mabulana, a Capricorn TVET college student, was raped and stabbed to death when an intruder forced entry into her rented room in Mokomene last November.
“She was attacked brutally. That incident not only brought up the scourge of gender-based violence in our society, it actually exposed the security of students staying in rented accommodation in TVET colleges.
“Maybe going forward this programme of providing accommodation to TVET colleges must consider naming one of the buildings after the student,” Mapulane said.
Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande agreed, maintaining it was a good gesture and worth considering.
“Chairperson, your suggestion is a good one of naming a student accommodation after the late Precious Ramabulana, in honour of her memory and as someone who passed away having accommodation that was vulnerable, but accepted because she wanted to learn and improve herself,” the minister said. Nzimande further said his department wanted to tackle allegations of corruption on a range of matters.
“One of the latest allegations that concern me is that some student leaders are in cahoots with security companies. For instance, the more they cause havoc at the institutions, the institutions would have to spend more and rely more on security companies and they make money,” Nzimande said.
He added: “People who draw attention are student leaders themselves.”
However, Nzimande hastened to add that he was not saying corruption simply involved students, but also people in administration at tertiary institutions.
“One of the tasks I am giving myself during this sixth administration as minister is to actually develop and drive a much more coherent and comprehensive student accommodation model that takes into account a whole range of issues.”
He noted that urban areas have options of privately-provided student accommodation.
“In some of the instances where our students stay in rural areas is shocking. It is not only in rural areas but it is worse there,” Nzimande said.