MBOMBELA, MPUMALANGA — Students at the Ehlanzeni TVET College have voiced a myriad of academic and infrastructural challenges during a recent oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education. The Mpumalanga-based campus became the focal point for critical discussions surrounding inadequate National Student Financial Assistance Scheme (NSFAS) allocations, severe workshop equipment shortages, missing textbooks, and alleged student intimidation.
The parliamentary committee is currently touring the province to interact with management and learners at various tertiary institutions, aiming to assess both their achievements and ongoing struggles. During a walkthrough of the campus’s engineering department, which has been hard at work, students took the opportunity to express their deep frustrations to the lawmakers.
A primary concern raised by the students was a severe lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and essential workshop tools. According to the learners, they have been instructed to scavenge for usable equipment from bins rather than being provided with new materials. Despite promises that supplies would be purchased this year, students reported receiving nothing and being explicitly told they would not get PPE. As a result of the safety gear shortages, some students have been forced to attend practical workshops in everyday clothing, including jeans and torn pants.
Beyond physical resources, financial support remains a significant hurdle for the student body. Learners reported ongoing issues with NSFAS since the beginning of the academic year; some received their funding late, while others missed out entirely. Furthermore, the students highlighted a total lack of a book allowance, formally requesting intervention to resolve these financial deficits.
Addressing the tense atmosphere on campus, the chairperson of the college council urged students to report their grievances without fear. Promising to engage directly with the college principal to resolve the operational issues, the chairperson vehemently condemned any form of retaliation against those who speak out.
“No one has the right to intimidate a student, and I must put it on record clearly and firmly without any fear of contradiction—not even myself,” the council chairperson stated, emphasizing that silencing students is a direct attempt to run away from accountability.
While the Ehlanzeni TVET College faces localized struggles, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education pointed to systemic national issues, noting that the current funding structure places learners who pass their matric exams at a distinct disadvantage. The committee chairperson revealed that the 50 TVET colleges across the country are funded at just under 15 billion, a sum deemed vastly insufficient to absorb the massive influx of learners transitioning from basic education.
With approximately one million matriculants expected to write exams this year, the higher education sector faces a severe capacity crunch. Universities currently offer around 250,000 spaces, while TVET colleges provide approximately 170,000. Highlighting the bottleneck, the committee chairperson noted that these space constraints resulted in roughly 230,000 students being unable to secure higher education placements last year.
Following the engagements in Mbombela, the oversight committee is scheduled to continue its provincial tour with an expected visit to the University of Mpumalanga on Thursday.