Botmashoogte residents have criticised the interim “transport bursary” granted to them by Stellenbosch University (SU) for not including all of the trips they make during term time and the holidays to get to campus. SU said the bursary is to subsidise their daytime travel to campus and give them flexibility. The SU Student Representative Council (SRC) said it is a short term solution to address the crisis while a long term solution is being drawn up.
“We accept the solution, but we are not happy with it,” said Duduzile Manda, Primarius of Botmashoogte residence. “We [residents] have to walk in the bad weather and dangerous areas, so we accept, but we will fight for the day shuttle.”
According to Manda the allowance does not cover the trips that might be made between the beginning and the end of the day. “It also doesn’t cover the weekends and the holidays. Botmashoogte is a postgraduate residence, so most of our students work during the holidays. They [the rectorate] didn’t think that through because they don’t understand what we need because they don’t know our struggle.”
Botmashoogte residents have to walk 2km to get to the centre of campus. This may take them up to half an hour. They are concerned for their safety because of an increase in muggings along their walking route this year. PHOTO: Google Maps and AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd.
Prof. Stan du Plessis, SU Chief Operating Officer, responded by saying that the intention of the transport bursary is “not to cover all transport requirements of students from Botmashoogte”, but that “it is to offer a reasonable level of assistance to these students in coming to campus for their classes and exams”.
“With 135 class and exam days remaining until the end of the year (the number of exam days include both the 1st and 2nd opportunity), the bursary allows for 311 single trips for the rest of 2018 (at R9 per trip).” According to Du Plessis this is “over and above the availability of the night shuttle service seven days a week, as well as during the recess times.”
He said the bursary offers the Botmashoogte students flexibility in that they are free to plan their trips as it suits them which is especially valuable to postgraduate students. “Apart from the fact that the university does not have a license to operate a shuttle services off campus during the day time, it would also not provide flexibility or be a financially sustainable solution.”
The night shuttle stops outside of the entrance of Botmashoogte residence every evening. Botmashoogte residence falls within the 6km radius from the Neelsie that the shuttle is allowed to travel within at night. PHOTO: Christi Nortier
According to Zander Prinsloo, treasurer of the SRC, they understand the bursary to be a short term solution to address the problem now.
“The purpose, according to the university, is to solve the immediate need for transport and the lack of safety.” said Prinsloo. “While the immediate need is catered for in this way in the short term, a longer term solution will be investigated which will be one that is aimed at sustainability….”.
It was announced on 2 May that SU would give each Botmashoogte resident a R2 800 “transport bursary” to be used to source and pay for their own transport to the university during the day. Their night shuttles will remain free and provided by the university.
Concern was raised about the safety of students after muggings spiked in the area in the beginning of 2018.