Every year, as universities open their registration periods and students are placed in their accommodation, student protests break out. Students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) have broken out in protest over various student concerns.
Accommodation Challenges Leave CPUT Students On The Street
At CPUT, particularly the District 6 campus, hundreds of students were left stranded over the weekend due to limited housing availability. While the university has 16,000 beds, demand far exceeds supply.
University staff worked overnight to place 410 qualifying students into two residences, prioritising those who are registered for the 2025 academic year and can provide valid student numbers. However, many applicants remain without accommodation, either due to lack of registration, NSFAS funding rejections, or missing student numbers.
CPUT spokesperson, Lauren Kansley acknowledged that the university cannot house all students, with 88,000 applications received for residence despite having only around 38,000 students. Consequently, students are encouraged to seek private accommodation as the university continues processing applications daily.
NMU Forced To Move Classes Online After Financial Exclusion Protests
The first day of the 2025 academic year at NMU was disrupted by student protests, with students raising concerns about legislative challenges, delayed NSFAS allowance payments, and accommodation issues. This lead to NMU moving classes online.
The NMU Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Lathitha Mbuzwana, stated that the protests were a last resort after repeated attempts to engage with management. They highlighted that some students had not been financially cleared, preventing them from accessing accommodation and allowances, leaving them without basic necessities.
While NMU confirmed that most NSFAS allowances had been disbursed, with 14,000 payments made on 7 February and the remaining 3,200 set to be completed within 72 hours, students continued to demand urgent solutions.
To address financial barriers, NMU has been processing concession applications, which allow students to register despite outstanding debt. Late registration has been extended to 28 February, and support services have been increased to assist affected students.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Mr Tebogo Letsie, said:
The scenes at CPUT and NMU are deeply troubling ... the current crisis underscores the urgent need for greater scrutiny of these assurances. The systemic failure to address recurring student accommodation shortages reflects a broader institutional and governmental neglect of student welfare.
During the protests, security staff at the universities were seen using force against students which is said to have resulted in violent clashes and injuries to students. “The use of excessive force is unacceptable. Security personnel must prioritise de-escalation and protection, not repression. Students advocating for their right to education deserve empathy, not violence,” said Mr Letsie.
