Suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule's foundation is yet to respond to the government's request for assistance in helping students supported by the foundation to study in Turkey.
After the foundation failed to pay its R13 million rent, at least 21 South African students attending the private Bahcesehir University were evicted from the Bogazici student residence.
The students who were sent to Turkey by the foundation in 2017 have since had to rely on the financial help of South African embassy officials.
According to Timeslive Investigative journalist, Thanduxolo Jika, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has so managed to secure low-cost housing accommodation for the about seventeen students.
Jika further states that the situation has been ongoing for over a year and that the owner of the student accommodation has not received any rent payment for 32 months.
He also says that these concerns were raised much earlier this past year when the foundation was given an ultimatum that there would be consequences if it did not honour its payments. The institution is even said to have suggested that students be transferred to some of the institutions in South Africa.
It further reported that Ace Magashule was asked about the students during a television interview and he responded by saying that they were advised to move the students from Bahcesehir University to a public-owned university due to high its high costs.
Jika also says that he has not been able to get any commentary from the Magashule Foundation regarding the terms of the study grant. The students are now left with one year of study hence the Department of International Relations has proposed that they be transferred to South Africa according to Jika.
