NSFAS delays spark Germiston student march and housing standoff

‘Pay us or we can’t study’: Allowance delays fuel Germiston protest

A 24-hour eviction demand. Dozens of households in the firing line. And hundreds of students who say they can’t afford to get to class. That’s the collision South Africa watched unfold in Germiston on Tuesday as Ekurhuleni West TVET College (EWC) students marched from campus to the college head office, demanding answers about unpaid NSFAS allowances and a plan for housing.

Students boycotted lectures and delivered a memorandum that reads like a survival list. They say they’ve waited months for approved payments. Others claim their monthly allowances arrived short. Without transport and meal money, many have skipped lectures. A student representative, Siqiniseko Mbatha, said the situation is worst for those from outside Gauteng who can’t pay rent. “You can’t pass a course if you’re sleeping on a couch or at a friend’s place,” he said.

Protesters want immediate disbursement of all outstanding allowances and a fix for the short-payments. They also want the college to prioritise accommodation for TVET students, who rarely have access to residences compared to university peers. The crowd’s frustration is not new. Since 2023, the national aid scheme has struggled with payment backlogs and complaints after moving to a direct-payment system that was supposed to speed things up. Instead, glitches, verification delays and bank charges became the story. The board was reshuffled, contracts were questioned, and students kept waiting.

On Tuesday, those delays had faces. Students spoke about borrowing for taxi fare, rationing meals, and losing practical training hours. Lecturers, they said, were understanding but powerless. “We’re not asking for luxuries,” one student said. “Just what was approved so we can study properly.”

The memorandum lists several demands aimed at the college and the aid scheme. Among them:

• Immediate payment of all outstanding allowances and correction of short-payments.
• Clear communication on payment schedules and a named official to resolve queries on campus.
• Emergency accommodation for stranded students, including those from other provinces.
• Use of college-owned properties for student housing at affordable rates.

By late afternoon, student leaders said they expected a response within days. They warned that classes would remain disrupted if nothing changed.

Villa Bianca becomes a flashpoint in the student housing crunch

The protest reached a boiling point over Villa Bianca, a block of flats a short distance from the campus. Students say the complex is owned by the college but occupied by private tenants. They want those tenants out—within 24 hours—so rooms can be converted to student housing. For many, it’s simple math: rent around the college area is out of reach, allowances come late, and the college has an asset that could help.

But Villa Bianca is not an empty building. About 100 people live there in 27 households. Some say they’ve been there for decades. Several families insist they were placed there on a rent-to-own basis under a private owner back in the early 2000s, though they don’t have documents to prove it. Rents in the complex start at roughly R810, depending on unit size—well below market rates in the neighborhood.

Tenants told this reporter they were blindsided by the eviction call coming from students rather than the landlord. “We are not against students,” one long-time resident said. “But we can’t be homeless by tomorrow.” South African eviction law also doesn’t move that fast. Under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction (PIE) Act, removals require a court process that considers the rights of occupants and the availability of alternative accommodation. A 24-hour deadline, legally, won’t stand.

The Villa Bianca standoff exposes a bigger truth: TVET students face a harsher housing gap than many assume. Unlike universities, where residence bed numbers—while still short—are tracked and prioritised, most TVET campuses rely on the private rental market. When allowances are late or too small to cover actual costs, the bottom falls out. Students couch-surf or commute long distances, and academic performance takes a hit.

This is not an isolated complaint. Over the past two years, TVET students from multiple campuses have raised the same issues: allowances arriving weeks late, poor communication, unclear rules on who qualifies for accommodation support, and housing administrators who can’t keep up with demand. The sector has grown, but the beds haven’t kept pace. While government has signalled support for more student accommodation—through public-private partnerships and infrastructure programs—delivery has lagged behind need.

EWC’s situation shows how tricky the fix can be. If the college confirms ownership of Villa Bianca, it still faces legal and ethical hurdles before converting it into student housing. If the tenants do have historic claims, that needs a paper trail. If they don’t, due process still applies. The college would also need funds to refurbish, secure and manage the building as a residence. Without proper accreditation and oversight, a quick conversion can go wrong fast—unsafe units, overcrowding, and a new cycle of complaints.

Students, for their part, argue that urgency can’t be optional. The start of term is slipping away for those stuck far from campus. For out-of-province students, scrambling for temporary stays isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a dropout risk. “We need a roof and a bus fare before we need a study guide,” a first-year student said, gesturing to her class notes.

What would a workable compromise look like? In the short term, immediate action on unpaid allowances would take pressure off housing. A dedicated help desk on campus to resolve payment glitches could cut queues and confusion. The college could audit its property portfolio and identify any safe, lawful spaces for temporary accommodation. It could also broker block leases with vetted landlords at capped rates, with transport subsidies for those living farther out.

Longer term, the college and the city will need a coordinated plan. That means a transparent assessment of student housing demand, a timeline for new beds, and budget clarity on how those beds will be paid for—public funds, private finance, or a mix. The tenants at Villa Bianca deserve a clear, written status of their occupancy. If relocation is on the cards, it must come with lawful notice and real alternatives, not a deadline shouted through a loudhailer.

By sunset, students dispersed but vowed to return if their demands were ignored. The allowances question can be solved with systems and money. The housing fight needs something harder: empathy backed by a plan. For now, Germiston has both a payment backlog and a building full of people who can’t simply disappear by morning.