Parliament, Monday, 6 October 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has expressed strong disappointment with the management of the uMfolozi TVET College’s Nkandla Campus following disturbing reports of gender-based violence (GBV) and poor institutional governance.
The committee, which is currently conducting a week-long oversight visit to post-school education and training institutions in KwaZulu-Natal, visited the Nkandla Campus as part of its monitoring of student-focused infrastructure development and learning conditions.
During the visit, the committee was alarmed to learn that the college does not have a policy to address GBV and lacks proper procedures to support victims or respond to such incidents. The Acting Principal indicated that he was instructed by Higher Health, a unit of the Department of Higher Education and Training not to disclose GBV statistics.
Members of the committee condemned the situation, describing it as unacceptable and indicative of weak accountability. The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Tebogo Letsie, said: “It is deeply troubling that a college entrusted with shaping young minds has no clear policy to protect students from GBV. The government has invested millions of rands in building this rural campus, yet what we find here is a state of neglect that undermines both confidence and learning.”
Members of the committee also expressed dissatisfaction with the overall state of the campus, citing poor maintenance and management failures. They said it boggles the mind that millions of rands are allocated for infrastructure development, yet the existing facilities are left to deteriorate. The committee reprimanded the campus management for neglecting basic upkeep.
The committee was further disturbed by allegations from students that some equipment, including microwaves and fridges, was temporarily hired and placed in residences to create a misleading impression of living conditions during committee inspections.
In addition, the Acting Principal confirmed that there had been instances where service providers had blocked access to the premises due to non-payment for services rendered. The college also reported shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and delays in the delivery of stationery and textbooks, leaving some trimester students entering examinations without essential learning materials.
The committee said the revelations point to serious lapses in governance, financial management, and student support at the institution and that the Department of Higher Education and Training must urgently intervene.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, MR TEBOGO LETSIE.
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Name: Jabulani Majozi (Mr)
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