The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education held a follow-up engagement with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on matters raised during the committee’s 2025 oversight visit.
During that oversight visit the committee expressed concerns about the risks arising from unsafe, non-compliant student accommodation, and abandoned infrastructure projects. The university management had also highlighted its financial pressures, notably the accumulation of about R2.3 billion in student debt and ongoing payment delays from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Poku, told the committee that UKZN has faced a series of crises since 2016, bringing the institution to the brink of bankruptcy. Among the major challenges were student protests that escalated into blockades, arson attacks and the destruction of critical infrastructure. The situation was further worsened by the July 2021 unrest and the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods, both of which had a severe impact on the university. Prof Poku added that the departure of more than 3 per cent of the university’s senior professors further deepened the institution’s difficulties.
Project Renewal, a comprehensive programme aimed at strengthening governance, reforming procurement systems, protecting whistle-blowers and restoring collegial oversight, is now in place, the Vice Chancellor said.
During the 2025 oversight visit to UKZN’s Westville campus, the state of infrastructure led committee members to comment that it revealed uneven institutional priorities. The committee flagged the university’s Oval student residence as sign of systemic failure. Closed since 2020 due to structural defects, the facility continues to cost the university approximately R30 million annually in debt servicing, while contributing nothing to student accommodation capacity.
The committee had also previously expressed concerns about the 100-bed residence project, which was left incomplete after a contractor withdrew due to financial difficulties, with inadequate safeguards in place. These failures in infrastructure development point towards persistent weaknesses in contractor oversight, infrastructure planning, maintenance strategies and consequence management, committee members observed.
The Director-General of the Department of Higher Education, Dr Nksinathi Sishi, raised concerns about the historical occupation of residences without approved occupancy certificates and compliance documentation, which endangers students life. Protecting students in their care is a non-negotiable priority, he said. Based on available assessments, Dr Sishi said, rebuilding the Oval residence might be more cost-effective than repairs, given the scale of structural and compliance deficiencies. The UKZN replied, saying it has insufficient funding to undertake the rebuilding process independently.
During a briefing from the Student Representative Council (SRC), the committee heard that UKZN introduced a new student card verification system during the 2025 final exams to improve security. However, its implementation had devastating consequences for students, as some were denied entry to examination venues because of unclear or damaged student cards, despite the existence of alternative verification methods that had previously ensured fairness.
The committee also probed the suspension of the SRC Secretary-General after UKZN alleged that he had breached institutional rules. The Secretary-General registered for a second-semester module in February. However, the university suspended him from his SRC post on the grounds that he had registered for a second-semester module during the February registration period, which is against the rules.
The committee further expressed concern about incidents of sexual assault at a private student accommodation facility accredited by NSFAS. The committee said NSFAS must act swiftly against perpetrators of gender-based violence, particularly at NSFAS accredited accommodation facilities. Members of the committee recommended that NSFAS should withdraw the accreditation of the property involved.
The portfolio committee Chairperson, Mr Tebogo Letsie, warned that universities constrain their own finances when they pursue legal cases that have little or no prospect of success. However, the Deputy Chairperson of the UKZN Council, Mr Nicholas Motsatse, said the committee’s proposal that university management be held personally liable for legal fees could create institutional paralysis, with senior university management fearing to take any decisions at all.
The committee also raised the issue of the student registration fee, which currently stands at R7 300. The SRC had told the committee that the increase in the fee ,from R5 950 to R7 300, placed immense pressure on already struggling families. However, UKZN said the increase was necessary as the fee had remained the same for two years.
Chairperson Letsie said the increase in registration fees is anti-progressive, as at least 75 per cent of UKZN students come from no-fee schools; the fee increase makes access to the university unaffordable.
Jabulani Majozi
12 May 2026
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