Cape Town - Students from Fort Hare University and some communities in the Eastern Cape are up in arms following a video of security officials seen assaulting a student who was selling food at the institution without permission.
In the video, the student Mbuso Khoza, 30, who comes from Harding, is seen crying and picking the stuff he was selling after a group of security guards took him out of the university saying he was trading illegally.
Khoza said he was an INSETA beneficiary and was only funded for two years and the university told him last year there were no funds. This has led him to owe the university R50 850.
He needs R850 to register for his BCom in accounting, but since he is not funded, even if he registers, he won’t have money for food and accommodation. The fast food business is his only means of survival.
Khoza said his mother was unemployed and he was the first child in his family to make it to university.
Social media users expressed their dismay at the treatment of the student by the security officials and asked the community in the province to contribute to help him.
University spokesperson JP Roodt said the university was aware of a trending video and false reports alleging UFH security officers assaulted a student over the weekend.
“We confirm a scuffle between security officers and an informal trader who could not produce a valid trading licence, who is not a registered student and who traded inside university premises, illegally.
“While the university respects the importance of informal trading as means of making a livelihood, UFH security officers made a reasonable request to the hawker to cease and desist from trading illegally, pointed out to him that he was trespassing and identified stoking of an open fire as safety and health hazard.
“We are in possession of video material showing security officers engaging the trader amicably and without aggression on the basis that his activities were in contravention of university policies, municipal by-laws and posed a potential fire hazard that could result in destruction of university property,” Roodt said.
Meanwhile, the UFH SRC issued a statement saying they were disappointed that the institution was not allowing young entrepreneurs who don’t have any source of funding to find alternative ways of making a living while studying.
They said the university should be giving young entrepreneurs space to operate their small business in the new student centre and not treat them like criminals.
“As the SRC we are pledging to follow up on the case and ensure fairness and justice. It is very sensitive and needs to be cared for with seriousness and severity.
“We as the SRC plead for the fast-tracking of having the new student centre operational to the benefit of students in terms of being able to purchase food inside of campus and having student-owned businesses.
“When we contacted Mbuso he made us aware that he opened a case with SAPS and we support him as we don’t condone such barbaric acts. The law must play its role Mbuso deserves justice,” the SRC said.
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