Some students are using chairs and desks as makeshift beds. These students claim that they have not been allocated rooms despite the university’s confirmation of their accommodation.
One student says, “We don’t have accommodation and we sleep on chairs and we don’t have food. We sleep without food whereas we have to attend classes and it is difficult. I was offered accommodation but I am surprised now that I don’t get the accommodation.” In a statement, the University of KwaZulu-Natal says it has allocated 19 550 beds for the 2023 academic year. The university says it is not possible to provide accommodation for every registered student. It says that it has started to release any unoccupied beds that were previously allocated to returning students who have not yet registered.