A YOUNG man from Pietermaritzburg has shared his pain of being among millions of his peers subjected to a hopeless future after his application to study further after completing Grade 12 in 2021 was rejected year-in-year-out.

Siyambonga Mazibuko wakes up every day to the reality of a bleak future after being rejected by both the University of South Africa (Unisa) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

He now fears that his prospects of obtaining a qualification either in diesel mechanics or transport and logistics are quickly fading away.

“I am now losing hope because I have been trying for many years without success and I am no longer seeing the need to continue applying,” said Mazibuko.

Mazibuko started applying at the college while he was doing Grade 12 at Ndabakayibuzwa Secondary School in Bulwer, but he was told that his application was late.

He said this was due to a lack of information about closing dates for applications.

Then in 2023, he successfully applied to Unisa for a transport management course, but the National Student Financial Aid Scheme did not respond to his application for funding.

He again applied last year to do diesel mechanics at Unisa, and transport and logistics at TVET and was still waiting for a reply as he is sitting with a message “application pending” on his phone despite that lessons have already begun.

Not willing to give up, he together with this reporter, visited TVET campuses where he had applied around Pietermaritzburg.

While going to the TVET Plessislaer campus in Imbali township, he met Wandile Njapha, an EFF Youth Command activist at the neighbouring Durban University of Technology (DUT)’s Indumiso campus, who also struggled for years to be enrolled to further his studies after completing his basic education.

Njapha advised Mazibuko not to give up and instead keep on applying.

Njapha passed matric in 2019 but was only admitted to the DUT in 2021.

“I would be told that my application was late or that the programme is full.

“I had lost all hope of furthering my studies and I saw myself as not deserving education and better life,” said Njapha, who is due to complete his studies this year.

Talking to Mazibuko, Njapha said: “Don’t give up hope, keep praying because prayer helps.”

At the Plessislaer campus, Mazibuko was told to keep waiting for a response to his application.

Mazibuko proceeded to the Midlands campus of the TVET, where he heard that registrations had been completed and was asked to try again for the 2026 lessons.

“We received thousands of applications last year whereas we only had space for only 150 first-year students.

“The lessons started on January 13,” an official said.

Another official at the Umgungundlovu Central Campus, who is not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed that campuses were full.

“Maybe the government should increase the number of institutions of higher learning.

“Those who are admitted have been called to write entrance tests and if you have not been called for tests, it means your application was unsuccessful.”

The official stated that TVET colleges have similar challenges as universities of receiving more applications than available spaces.

“Since the system prioritises people with higher marks than others, there would be many people whose applications would be unsuccessful.

“That is the dilemma faced by universities and TVET colleges, and there is nothing we can do if our funding only accommodates a certain number of students as we cannot admit more than we can handle,” he said.

This reporter recently reported about thousands of young people who queued for two weeks outside the premises of DUT’s Steve Biko campus in Durban to hear if their applications were successful.

Most of them left disappointed after being told that registrations had been completed and lessons had already started.

According to Stats SA 2024 report on youth development, out of 20 million young people between the ages of 15 and 34, only 5,8 million participated in higher educational institutions in 2022.

“South Africa’s education policies primarily focus on access to basic education, including early childhood development, and make schooling compulsory for children aged seven to 15 to ensure that all learners have access to quality education without discrimination.

“Unfortunately, (this)does not translate into a high participation rate at tertiary education level,” read the report.

bongani.hans@inl.co.za