GEORGE NEWS - Some landlords in George who provide accommodation services to students of the George campus of Nelson Mandela University (NMU) have not been paid since the beginning of the year. 

This is despite the university's urgent request last year to landlords to create more facilities as there was a shortage in accommodation.

One landlord who provides facilities for 30 students says they are owed three months' payment. Some are even owed rental from last year. He says about 800 students are housed in private facilities in the George area.

"The student housing department has been making promises of payment, but nothing is forthcoming. Last year NMU pleaded with landlords to make additional provision for students. I spent a lot of money to create more facilities at a cost of about R180 000 for furniture, fridges, stoves, internet installations, ovens and more. 

"Now I have to borrow money to pay for my expenses in an effort to keep the students on. Come end April, if payment is not made, these students will have to be let go and they will not have a place to stay. This is a reflection on the university."

In a letter, dated Tuesday 18 April, addressed to the affected service providers, NMU student housing director Mxolisi Ncapayi apologises for their failure to pay and refers to promises he had made that they would be paid. 

He writes that the university "is doing everything to process the payments to be finalised this week". It is a week later, and there are still service providers who have not been paid.

"When we enquire at the head-office in Port Elizabeth, we are treated appallingly, like children, especially by two of the officials. We have now [25 April] heard that almost all the staff are on leave for Ramadan. We thought that they would be back yesterday [24 April], but everyone in the department is still on leave while we have been struggling to provide students with electricity, gas and Wi-Fi. We had to celebrate the Easter weekend without money, and this coming long weekend will be the same. Many of us are in trouble with our home loans. The municipality is cutting our water, our names are blacklisted, and policies have lapsed," said one complainant.

Another, who also houses 30 students, told the newspaper, "The staff in Port Elizabeth treat us as if we are dogs begging for a piece of bread. They will cause me to land up in hospital from the stress. I cannot go on like this. It is the same every year. Rental owed to me from 2022 was settled only in March. One woman is struggling to get rental of more than R80 000 still owed to her from 2022. "

George Herald sent a query to the NMU communications department on 20 April and received out-of-office replies from two officials while a third replied that she would handle the query on Monday [23 April]. No comment has been received up until yesterday, Wednesday 25 April.

Rental accommodation for students of the NMU is scarce, but some landlords who are rendering the service complain that they struggle to get their rental from the university.

Update: 29 April 2023 - 'Payment run has been effected'

George Herald has since the publication of this article received the following response from Zandile Mbabela, communications officer from the Port Elizabeth campus: "Nelson Mandela University is aware that some off-campus accommodation service providers are still awaiting payment and assures that the payment run has been effected, with some providers having been paid from 19 April 2023.

"A challenge that usually arises at the beginning of the year, particularly in relation to student accommodation, is that of delays in students securing funding and thus being able to register for tuition and residence. It is a requirement that a student be registered for tuition before they can register for accommodation, and some academic registrations are delayed as students await funding confirmation, which then affects placement into accommodation.

"The university's student housing office, however, is working on effecting payments to accredited accommodation service providers housing our registered students. Service providers who, for various reasons, have not received payment may contact the university in that regard."

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