Bloemfontein: The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, currently conducting oversight visits at post-school education institutions, has expressed concern at allegations of lecturers harassing or having inappropriate relations with students. The committee visited the Motheo Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College’s Bloemfontein campus on Tuesday, where it expressed concern over the institution’s handling of sexual misconduct cases.
According to South African Government News Agency, Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie emphasised the need for the college to accept where they have gone wrong, pointing out that cases of sexual misconduct should not take over 90 days to resolve. ‘It is worrying that there are people who are accused of sexual misconduct but are still in the employ of the college. And this is a triple jeopardy to students who have suffered sexual harassment and who now have to see these people every day on the premises, as lecturers,’ said Letsie.
While commending the col
lege’s infrastructure, including lecture rooms, which speaks to proper maintenance and care of government infrastructure, the committee also raised concern that the infrastructure is being underutilised, as the college has a low student population on its campuses. ‘There must be deliberate efforts to market this place. All that is needed is rigorous marketing to make the TVET college more attractive to students,’ the chairperson said.
The committee also urged the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to fast track the accreditation of student accommodation, especially in Qwaqwa where Motheo has a campus. Motheo TVET College also faces staffing challenges, citing a moratorium on filling vacancies as a critical barrier to their operational efficiency, with two vacant deputy principal posts and three unfilled campus manager positions. The committee called on the Department of Higher Education and Training to urgently address this matter.
Despite these concerns, the committee commended the college’s innovative
textbook retrieval system, which saved over R1 million in 2024, saying it could serve as a model for other institutions. Meanwhile, a scheduled meeting with the Central University of Technology (CUT) was postponed on Tuesday, with the committee expressing concern over IT failures, staff shortages, and a lack of a properly recognised Student Representative Council.
On Wednesday, the committee visited Goldfields TVET College and the Free State Community Education and Training College. The committee is also scheduled to visit Maluti TVET College on Thursday and Flavius Mareka TVET College on Friday when it concludes its visit to the Free State.