Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says he had anticipated unrest over student accommodation at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), revealing that he warned university leadership weeks ago that tensions could surface around the time of the State of the Nation Address.
Manamela met with CPUT Vice-Chancellor Chris Nhlapo outside Cape Town City Hall late on Thursday night for a briefing, after accompanying students to Ekhaya Student Accommodation, where they alleged they had been evicted.
The students, who earlier had a tense stand-off with police following the address, also raised concerns about poor living conditions at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)-accredited private residence.
University management denied the eviction claims, saying no students had been removed from the Ekhaya facilities and suggesting the protest was linked to broader tensions surrounding the national event.
Manamela, however, said the situation had been on his radar.
“Two weeks ago I told the vice-chancellor this might happen on the day of the SONA, and the team has been working around the clock to prevent it,” he said.
After inspecting parts of the residence, the minister briefed students, assuring them that no one would be left without shelter and that the department would immediately assess the buildings’ conditions.
“If any rooms are found to be uninhabitable based on our standards, NSFAS and the university will provide alternative accommodation,” he said, adding that inspections would begin the following day.
Manamela apologised after personally viewing rooms he said should not have housed students, pledging swift corrective action.
“For now, no student will sleep outside,” he said. “The issue is not allocation, but the quality of the rooms, and that is what we are going to address.”
Despite the assurances, several students remained outside with their belongings, insisting they had effectively been displaced and expressing fears about overcrowding and unreliable water supply.
Some reported taps running dry mid-shower, while others said they worried their rooms would be reassigned to new occupants.
The standoff underscores growing frustration over student housing standards, with authorities now under pressure to deliver quick fixes before the academic programme resumes.