Democratic Alliance Press Statement by
Ken Robertson, MP
Mpumalanga Provincial DASO Coordinator
Millions allocated to Mapulaneng TVET College yet students still live in squalor
26 October 2016
Release: immediate
Students of Mapulaneg TVET College in Bushbuckridge municipality have been living in squalid conditions despite the college receiving over R22 million for upgrading and maintenance over the past three financial years.
This was revealed in a DA parliamentary question on the living conditions of TVET college students which was posed to Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, after the DA received numerous complaints from college students through their DASO representatives on campus.
The collective maintenance budget allocated to the college is R 6.6 million and the collective budget for upgrades R15.9 million yet, student facilities and communal areas have been left to deteriorate to the point where they are no longer usable. The students also complained that they are forced to use pit toilets because the flush toilets on campus are broken and have not been repaired.
Click here to view pictures.
Recently, the DA uncovered squalid living conditions at Matsulu TVET College in the City of Mbombela where campus facilities for students were inadequate and underfunded. These students had been living in dirty hostels with no running water since last year and little in the way of amenities.
It is extremely disheartening to find students whose only desire is to get an education so that they can pursue their living in these conditions. The Minister cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening at TVET colleges across the province, especially in the wake of protests such as #FeesMustFall.
DASO Mpumalanga will lodge a complaint with the Public Protector, asking her to investigate whether the money allocated to the TVET college was properly spent and whether the results on the ground transparently reflects the capital expenditures.
Students are the future of our country and by denying them a chance to be educated in an enabling environment; we are sentencing an entire generation to a life of hardships.
Media enquiries:
Ken Robertson, MP
Mpumalanga Provincial DASO Coordinator
076 687 2830
Portia Adams
Communications Manager
082 319 6666
Dumisile Masuku
Media Officer
079 873 7590