Matrics flood in SA´s universities

A few of the thousands of matrics who have applied to study at the Tshwane University of Technology queue on a campus sports field hoping against hope that they will be allowed to enrol 

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Desperate matrics have joined the long queues at the Tshwane University of Technology's Pretoria West campus in a bid to enrol in whatever course is available at the institution.

Many of the would-be students have nowhere to sleep and have resorted to asking strangers for accommodation.

"Accommodation is the least of my worries. All I want is to be accepted. I have nowhere to sleep, so the streets will be my home until I get sorted if I do not find a good samaritan to offer me a place," 21-year-old Dineo Buthelezi said.

Buthelezi, from Kimberley in the Northern Cape, slowly made her way to the application centre while hauling two large bags with her.

Buthelezi said she wanted to study bio-medical technology, but would settle for a legal assistance course .

"Now the goal is to take any available course and swap once inside, unlike having to wait for another year to struggle for space," she said.

Buthelezi said she had not been able to apply on time because she had not been sure if her Grade 12 results would meet the necessary requirements for her intended course.

She was, however, encouraged that the queue was moving fast.

The majority of study programmes are full for this year and there are currently only about 3000 spaces still available.

The university has done away with walk-in applications. Spokesman Willa de Ruyter said most of the prospective students in the queues had applied online.

Though there had only been space for 14811 first-year students, more than 70000 applications were received.

Registrar Professor Stuart Mothata advised applicants to visit the university's website to check if there were still vacancies in the courses in which they wanted to enrol. He said they should also check the admission requirements to see if they qualified.

Mothata said the list of courses that still had space available would be updated daily. He stressed that all late applications must be submitted via the university's online application system.

"Though there are almost 3 000 spaces available, the university will not accommodate walk-in applicants this year. Only online applications will be considered at this stage," he said.

Mothata said the computer labs and electronic resources centres on all campuses will be available for students with no internet access to register online.