MBOMBELA, MPUMALANGA — A routine parliamentary oversight tour has exposed a severe operational and financial crisis at the Ehlanzeni TVET College, where engineering students report being forced to scavenge for workshop equipment and attend practical classes without basic safety gear. The grievances, brought to light during a visit by the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, highlight systemic failures ranging from delayed NSFAS payouts to alleged intimidation of learners who speak out.
The committee is currently sweeping through the province to evaluate the achievements and hurdles of local tertiary institutions. However, a walkthrough of the Ehlanzeni TVET College’s engineering department—a facility noted for its hard-working student base—quickly devolved into a platform for urgent student complaints regarding hazardous learning conditions.
According to the students, the campus is suffering from a critical lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and essential workshop tools. Learners alleged that administration informed them no new safety gear would be purchased this year. Consequently, students are participating in hazardous practical sessions wearing everyday clothes, including jeans and torn trousers. Furthermore, learners claimed they were instructed to salvage usable tools from trash bins because the institution failed to procure new materials as previously promised.
The resource deficit extends beyond the workshop floor. Students voiced deep frustration over the National Student Financial Assistance Scheme (NSFAS), noting that many have faced allocation hurdles since the academic year began. While some eventually received late payments, others missed out entirely. Additionally, the total absence of a book allowance has left many without essential study materials.
Amid these complaints, a culture of fear has allegedly taken root on campus, prompting the chairperson of the college council to publicly intervene. Pledging to work directly with the principal to rectify the operational failures, the council chairperson issued a stern warning against any retaliation toward whistleblowers.
“No one has the right to intimidate a student, and I must put it on record clearly and firmly without any fear of contradiction—not even myself,” the council chairperson declared. They emphasized that attempting to silence learners equates to “running away from accountability” and assured the student body that their grievances would be decisively resolved.
While the Ehlanzeni TVET College faces intense localized struggles, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education noted that these issues reflect a much larger national dilemma regarding the funding structure of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. The committee chairperson argued that the current financial model places successful matriculants at a severe disadvantage.
“The only problem I have with the current structure of TVET colleges is how we fund them,” the committee chairperson explained. With 50 TVET colleges nationwide receiving a combined budget of just under 15 billion, the funds fall drastically short of accommodating the massive surge of graduates transitioning from basic education.
The mathematics of the national education bottleneck are stark. With roughly one million matriculants sitting for exams this year, the sector faces a massive capacity shortfall: universities offer approximately 250,000 spaces, and TVET colleges provide around 170,000. Highlighting this structural deficit, the committee chairperson noted that an estimated 230,000 qualified students were left without higher education placements last year.
As the committee continues its provincial engagements to evaluate institutional hurdles, the oversight tour is scheduled to proceed to the University of Mpumalanga on Thursday.
