WeeklySA_AdminHIDDEN SAGA: Studies show 66% of UWC students and 65% at University of the Free State are food insecure, but the issue is underreported due to stigma…
By Justin Brown
Student hunger is a hidden crisis threatening higher education. This is what Nthuseng Mokoena, a University of Pretoria (UP) student and volunteer for the Student Hunger Hearings Task Force told the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Thursday. It was the first day of hearings into food systems in South Africa, held at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg.
“Food is not a privilege; it is a constitutional right,” said Mokoena. Yet, food insecurity is widespread.
Mokoena cited a 2021 University of the Western Cape (UWC) study that found 66% of students were food insecure, and a study at the University of the Free State reported 65%.
But the issue is underreported due to stigma.
“Hunger carries a deep sense of shame, and many students feel uncomfortable disclosing their financial struggles,” Oscar Sithole, a doctoral student at the UP, said in a written submission to the SAHRC.
He wrote that Wits University supplies monthly food packs to around 2,500 students. The University of Johannesburg offers 7,000 meals weekly. UWC serves breakfast to hundreds of students twice a week. The University of Cape Town distributes 600 lunches daily. The University of the Free State offers a modest allowance and daily access to one balanced meal.
However, such initiatives are not sustainable, especially at cash-strapped universities, according to Sithole. But Mokoena said schools ensured that children did not go hungry and universities should do likewise.
While at school, many students relied on the Child Support Grant and the National School Nutrition Programme, but both schemes fell away when they reached university.
Mokoena noted that although the National Student Financial Aid Scheme offers food vouchers, its payments are often late and the amount too small to last the entire month.
“Students face rising food prices, accommodation costs and expensive campus food options.
“As a result, many survive on extremely limited or nutritionally poor diets. This affects concentration, academic performance, mental health and in some cases, contributes to higher dropout rates,” said Mokoena.
Mokoena recommended holding hearings at universities to gather evidence.
“Bringing visibility to this crisis is the first step towards meaningful policy change,” said Mokoena.
Evidence was also led about recommendations from hearings held at UWC. These included food gardens on campus providing healthy, fresh food; on-campus dining halls that provide subsidised dietitian-certified meals; and establishing a nutrition framework to regulate the food sold on campus.. – GroundUp
MIRROR Briefs
RESIDENTS ANNOYED BY STRONG STENCH
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says it is aware of, and is attending to, reports of a strong sulphurous odour detected in various parts of Gauteng, particularly in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg.
The department says it can confirm that the stench experienced by residents in these areas is likely caused by hydrogen sulphide (H2S).
“The DFFE wishes to assure the public that the matter is receiving attention.”In August 2025, then Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Dion George published, for public comment, a notice of intention to tighten the permitted release of H2S from coal gasification processes in terms of Section 21 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (2004).
The proposed amendment seeks to reduce the emission limit of H2S from 3 500 mg/m3 to 600 mg/m3, which will significantly reduce pollution released into the environment. Comprehensive comments were received from stakeholders and the DFFE said the notice would be published for a second round of public consultations.
The department says it is anticipated that these regulatory provisions would be finalised and implemented during this year. The department, meanwhile, notes that recent data from the South African Air Quality Information System showed that levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), while elevated, remained in compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards during this period.
FAMILY GETS BACK LAND DUE TO THEM
Government has returned more than 627 hectares of land in Mpumalanga to its rightful custodians after it was appropriated under the apartheid regime around 1934, reaffirming its commitment to land restitution.
“The return of this land, therefore, embodies the restoration of identity, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for the family that was dispossessed,” Deputy President Paul Mashatile said on Friday.The significant milestone in the journey of the Mtshoeni/Mtsweni family, also known as the Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association (CPA), was marked by the handover ceremony of the land and title deeds. The event was attended by the Deputy President and the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso.
The family initiated a claim to restore their ancestral land in 1998 – a process that entailed extensive years of investigation, negotiation, and even personal sacrifice. The Schulk Marhiqa CPA is already farming 100 hectares of maize and 30 hectares of soybeans, alongside livestock. With the support of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development and partners such as the South African Grain Farmers Association (SAGRA), the Deputy President said this community was positioned to thrive and prosper. – SAnews
SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN GANG-RIDDLED AREAS
President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces of his decision to deploy 2 200 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
This was in line with section 201 (3) (a)(b)(c) and (d) of the Constitution.
According to the Presidency, the deployment serves to prevent and combat crime and support and preserve law and order under Operation Prosper which is targeting illegal mining and gangsterism. “The deployed members of the SANDF will assist the South African Police Service to prevent and combat illegal mining and gangsterism in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape. The deployment is for the period 01 March 2026 until 31 March 2027,” said the Presidency in a statement.
The Presidency said expenditure for this employment is estimated at R823 153 960.
During the State of the Nation Address 2026, Ramaphosa announced the intention to deploy the South Africa National Defence to areas afflicted by illegal mining and gang violence.
He called on communities to welcome and work more closely with the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force to identify and alienate criminal elements and make neighbourhoods safer in the process. – SAnews.
CHINESE FISHING VESSEL FLAGGED
Four Chinese-flagged fishing vessels entered South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial waters without proper authorization, triggering a coordinated response from government agencies. The vessels, owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries, were stopped and placed under guard in Cape Town, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp said in a statement. The ships requested “innocent passage” on February 23, saying they would leave South African waters by 3 March, but days later sought off‑port limits authorisation without the required documents, he said.
During the period, they repeatedly switched off their automatic identification system transponders while already moving inside South Africa’s territorial waters. They were detected inside 12 nautical miles of the KwaZulu‑Natal coast and later tracked moving south along the Eastern Cape shoreline. “South Africa will not tolerate the unlawful use of its maritime zones,” Aucamp said.
They were fined R400,000, which was promptly paid, and the vessels were released and have since left South African waters. While the incident ended without further escalation, it serves as a reminder of the constant monitoring required to safeguard South Africa’s coastline, one of the longest in Africa and home to important fishing grounds that support local industries and coastal communities. – SAnews
