Some students at Vaal University of Technology (VUT) have been left stranded after the institution ordered everyone to leave the campus after buildings were set alight by the protesting students on Wednesday night.
The university notified all the students who occupy the institution’s residence to vacate by 5pm latest on Thursday. The protests were said to be centred around an issue with NASFAS allowances and the funding of student accommodation.
On Thursday evening temperatures dropped and students were outside with their luggage, desperately trying to organise transport to go home. Lorance Momogops, a 27-year-old third-year student from North West, said he had to make other arrangements in order to have a place to sleep after the university kicked them out.
He said: “I stay in North West and I had to ask a friend of mine to help me sleep for the night because my family is coming tomorrow. I studied for tests I might not even write.”
He became emotional as he spoke about VUT’s treatment of students. “I don’t think they have their best interests at heart when it comes to their students. They are really playing with our emotions,” Momogops said.
He added that he was stressed because he still had two tests to write and the university was not being clear about when they could actually return back to campus.
Parents collecting their children from campus were worried about students from other provinces who do not have accommodation or transport to take them home. One of the students fainted later that day while others were in tears as it started to get dark.
The university said it has launched an investigation and the culprits will face disciplinary action. “In this regard, an internal investigation has been initiated and stern disciplinary action will be taken against perpetrators,” read the statement from VUT.
Source: News 24, The Citizen, image from Twitter