Over 1 700 Durban University of Technology (DUT) students who are staying in Scottsville, Pelham and the CBD of Pietermaritzburg, could face eviction if the institution does not pay outsourced service providers.
According to The Witness, late last week outraged service providers claimed they have not been paid for January. Service providers from the Pietermaritzburg-based Young Money Business Forum, claim they are owed an estimated R2 million by DUT.
“We pay a lot upfront capital cost. We are paying for rates, water and electricity and the municipality is now threatening to shut down their services, We’re now having to find money to subsidise those payments from other buildings and it’s unfair. It’s a very negative impact,” one of the service providers, who accommodates 300 students, told The Witness.
The National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) pays a grant into the university’s account for tuition fees and university managed accommodation, which is then distributed to outsourced accommodation service providers.
The service providers have now threatened to evict students if the monies are not paid early this week. They are also complaining that their counterparts in Durban are getting preferential rates for accommodation offered.
“The meeting agreed on the way forward and highlighted the critical documentation that must be submitted by these service providers to DUT. some of the documentation is still outstanding as of 14th February,” said DUT spokesperson, Alan Khan.
[Source – The Witness]
[Image – DUT]
