The NMU George Campus main entrance. Photo: NMU
GEORGE NEWS - Some George homeowners who provide accommodation to students of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) George Campus have not received payment for housing the students from the university since March, when the students arrived.
An unhappy landlord who wanted to remain anonymous said he has to provide cleaning services, Wi-Fi and basic services such as water and electricity for the students. Some landlords depend on the income from the rental to cover bond payments. It has been three months that payment has not been forthcoming. It is making it extremely difficult for us. We cannot provide a free service. We have costs to cover. Complaints with the university have been to no avail, said the complainant.
First-year UWC students urged not to use their NSFAS food allowances to pay rent
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Cape Town - First-year students from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), who benefited from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have been urged not to use their food allowances to pay for rent.
This after the UWC student representative council (SRC) was made aware that there were first-year students from outside of the 60km radius who were apparently using their food allowance to pay for rent, as they were also receiving transport allowances, and used it for food instead.
UWC SRC secretary-general Bulumko Mpambani confirmed there have been reports of some first-year students using their food allowances to pay for rent.
The case of four people believed to be syndicate members accused of defrauding Walter Sisulu University (WSU) of more than R1.6m by diverting National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds between 2018 and 2021, took a dramatic turn at the Mthatha commercial court on Tuesday. A private lawyer withdrew as their legal representation citing non payment of fees.
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For many South Africans, the Covid-19 pandemic set into motion a radical paradigm shift that would bring us firmly into the 4
th Industrial Revolution (4IR). However, without proactive intervention to promote access to digital technology and information literacy, we run the risk of entrenching inequality, improving the lives of those who are already digitally connected and leaving behind those who are not.
Among the many activities that have had to pivot into the digital realm, is education. Having mostly abandoned face-to-face teaching in favour of online remote-access learning models, many tertiary institutions have grappled with issues of equitable access to technology and the ‘digital divide’.
Students from the University of Western Cape (UWC) say they are having issues with the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). They have been informed that they won’t be funded for the 2021 year and are running out of options. The students want answers from the university and the department.