Taxpayers are bracing for a hefty bill to fund free tertiary education, but one college has been splashing millions a year on student parties that feature inflatable pools, water slides and musicians.
Tshwane South Technical Vocational Education and Training College in Pretoria, one of 50 TVET institutions countrywide, has earmarked R2.9-million of its R15.9-million student activities budget for three bashes.
Some R1.2-million has been budgeted for Spring Day in September, R900,000 for an orientation festival and R800,000 for Youth Day activities on June 16.In contrast, South West Gauteng TVET College's total budget for student support this year is R2.8-million, while Westcol TVET College in Gauteng does not pick up the bill for its freshers ball.
The Special Investigating Unit is to investigate a contract awarded by Tshwane South TVET College for "event management services" for its 2014 Spring Day celebrations.
The institution spent almost R597,000 on the bash, including R193,000 for a comedian and five local artists. The lineup included kwaito star Dr Malinga, who cost R60,000 for a 45-minute set, and music duo Black Motion, who were paid R45,000.
A quotation seen by the Sunday Times shows the college paid R53,000 to hire two inflatable pools and a giant water slide.
College deputy principal Debra Malete allegedly racked up a cellphone bill of R441,719 last year. It includes R366,877 for data that the college's principal, Joe Chiloane, claims Malete used to download movies and to surf an online dating site and two porn sites. Malete has denied the allegations and disputed the bill.
A proclamation issued by former president Jacob Zuma, ordering the SIU to investigate alleged maladministration and unlawful conduct, was gazetted on February 9. A contract for the supply of golf shirts to the college will also be investigated.
Motivating for the 2014 student representative council Spring Day celebrations, acting student support manager Maphuti Maraba wrote that students "have been tirelessly committed to their studies" and the celebration was meant to "rejuvenate" them.
"The nature and character of young people are impatient, playful and always energetic in nature. Therefore this event must be more of social interaction as opposed to formalities [sic]," Maraba wrote.BASH BY NUMBERS
Procurement manager Goodman Mnisi and finance manager Geoffrey Legodi recommended that an event management contract be awarded to STJ Multiple Projects at a cost of R596,961.
STJ Multiple Projects quoted R101,301 for a sound system, R95,910 for a stage and other structures, R46,000 for ablution facilities, R51,500 for stage builders, a sound engineer and delivery of stage materials, and R18,500 for marketing.
Documents expected to be examined by the SIU show that in 2014 and 2015 the college spent:
• R89,200 on a three-day induction ceremony for 28 new SRC members, who were joined at Alpha Conference Centre in Hartbeespoort, North West, by 12 staff;
• R198,320 for 50 Nike tracksuits, 30 Nike golf shirts, 30 sports bags, 30 hooded jackets and 30 pairs of sports shoes for SRC members; and
• R452,680 for a three-day workshop on "citizenship" for 120 students at the Alpha Conference Centre.
Some staff were fuming after 36 members of the new SRC and several staff checked in to the Alpha Conference Centre on Friday to spend this weekend electing members of the central SRC. They said the college could have saved more than R100,000 by holding the elections on campus.A senior staff member said other TVET colleges did not spend "exorbitant amounts" on student bashes. "We are one of the highest spenders. Many children are losing the opportunity to be educated because of no [money for] fees yet we spend huge amounts on DJs. Surely this is a violation of the constitutional rights of young people?"
The staff member said information delivered during the citizenship workshop was from the internet. "It was not value for money and the workshop could have been done in-house. They sang ANC songs and afterwards they got into groups and debated a lot."
Given Mashaba, EFF student command president and SRC president for the Atteridgeville campus, said the SRC had no control over how money budgeted for its activities was spent. "The previous SRC did not get a budget. The management told them they can't see the budget."
Dan Nkosi, principal of South West Gauteng TVET College, which has 9,000 more students than Tshwane South TVET College, said: "In this atmosphere of more needing to be done with less money, we are trying everything we can to spend less money on things that are not academic and focus the bulk of the resources on matters that are learning related."
"We do discourage money being spent on bashes. We don't always get it right because the students resist, but we are known to try to save," added Nkosi.
The principal of another TVET college in Gauteng, who asked to remain anonymous, said they did not have an orientation festival or Spring Day and Youth Day events.
But Chiloane said the R597,000 spent on the Spring Day event was not exorbitant. "If you compare the amount we spend with universities and other colleges, you will see it is not excessive. The budget is given to me by the college council to operationalise. If I spend money on students, I don't have a problem with that."WHAT'S IN A BUDGET?
Commenting on the hire of the inflatable pools and a water slide, he said: "Remember, it's spring, and those are things that are normally done by universities and colleges." The bills levied by DJs were not regulated and "they can charge you anything they like".
However, Chiloane said Malete's cellphone bill was "a gross abuse of state resources". The college closed on December 15 but his deputy's bill for that month alone was R44,528, he said, adding that her monthly cellphone limit was R1,500.
Malete denied this, saying her cellphone usage was "limitless". She added: "I don't watch porn. I am a psychologist by profession and I don't do such things. I have a husband. Why should I visit a dating site?"
Higher education spokesman Madikwe Mabotha said operational budgets were the responsibility of the college council.
"The TVET college has multiple income streams such as occupational programme income, donations and investment interest. The council is responsible for determining the approved budget, which might include additional allocations such as funding for the SRC," explained Mabotha.
CLASS IS IN, FOR ALL
“[This] government is proud to implement a major step forward towards our ultimate goal of guaranteeing access to higher education and training for all South Africans who qualify based on merit, not class position.”— Former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, during the budget speech last month.
govenderp@sundaytimes.co.za..