Stranded SA students in Russia face expulsion within a week

IT’S been more than a month since 229 South African students in Russia brought their plight to the attention of the SA government and still nothing has been done to help them. Now, the students face expulsion and eviction by November 10.

In a desperate plea, the Community of RSA Students in Russia, Corsas, has written an open letter to Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, begging her to help them.

Despite promises by the Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education (MPUDBE), no tuition fees and rent have been paid, leaving the students more desperate than ever, and stranded in a foreign country.

To date, 40 medical students at the Saratov Chernyshevsky State University have already been barred from attending classes.

At a press conference two weeks ago, Mpumalanga Education MEC Bonakele Majuba accused the students of working in the interest of their former placement agency, Racus, known as Green Tutu. Majuba accused the students of exaggerating their plight.

Many went four months without receiving their monthly stipends.

According to the department, the contract with Racus was not renewed because the agency failed to submit the documents needed to continue. The department also did not find a suitable replacement resulting in the current plight of the students.

The open letter from the students reads: “Dear Honourable Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane. It is with sadness, desperation and urgency that we, the student leaders, are writing this letter. All the leaders have exhausted all of our options in trying to get our accommodation and tuition fees paid. We are asking for assistance in getting our tuition and accommodation paid for through the authorisation of the department to the embassy for us to be able to not get expelled or evicted.

“Universities have given students until November 10 to evacuate their place of residence. Sechenov University students are getting expelled on November 3. They need their tuition to be paid ASAP. Students are not even allowed to attend classes. They have been sitting at home for three weeks and are now banned from lessons due to tuition not being paid.”

MPUDBE spokesperson, Jasper Zwane said a delegation had been sent to Russia on October 16 to engage the universities on the need to submit tuition and accommodation invoices, to enable the department to advise the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) to effect due payments. R28 million rand was transferred to Dirco, which transferred the funds to the SA Mission in Russia. But, this hasn’t helped the 229 students.

“They were unable to solicit the required invoices from the universities as required by the department. The universities’ cited contractual obligations they have with St Petersburg Racus which makes it difficult to share information with a third party. Failure to submit the required Invoices from the respective universities in Russia will make the payments for tuition and accommodation irregular; as such it remains imperative that invoices direct from universities are attached,” Zwane said.

MPUDBE said it was exploring all possible avenues and had given itself at least two weeks to make a determination on this matter. But this does not the students who say they have been paying for their accommodation for four months, going on five, and are now in debt.

“We have sent our lease agreements twice and all the documents that the department asked for, so that they can pay our accommodation and nothing has been done yet. We are in November and stipends are still not in. The agent has also failed to give us the funds for medicals and visas. Students have to renew their visas. ASV has been showing incompetency ever since they were hired.”