Some UCT students, among them foreigners, have been left homeless as a result of an administrative bungle despite having paid thousands of rands in fees, which are supposed to include accommodation.
But Student Representative Council leaders said the situation could have been avoided if students had arrived on time.
The students, many of whom come from Zimbabwe and Namibia, said they left their own countries to embark on their tertiary education, only to find that the University of Cape Town's student housing office had not made provision for them.
Kapuzo Munhawa, 19, a first-year engineering student, said he arrived in South Africa last Saturday but when he returned to the campus, the student housing office told himt the student residences were fully booked.
"I paid R43 000 in fees, R23 000 of which was supposed to be for accommodation, hoping to be taught at one of Africa's leading universities, so I am very disappointed by the service I am now receiving," he said.
Munhawa said he had spent the past few days living with friends and sleeping on mattresses on floors.
Keith Maxwell is not that fortunate. Two nights ago the third-year accounting student slept on a blanket on the floor of a friend's room in Liesbeeck Gardens after wardens booted him from his room.
"I had paid my school fees by the stipulated time. I returned to university on Saturday expecting to have my room but then they told me it had been given to someone because I hadn't paid my fees."
Despite showing officials his proof of payment, Maxwell was kicked out of his room and had to sleep on the floor.
Another student, who declined to be named, said the overbooking of accommodation was an "ongoing" issue, charging that the tertiary institution was hoping to profit from the chaos.
"What they tend to do is book more students than the res can cater for, hoping students will just find their own alternative accommodation, so that they can pocket the cash.
"It's not fair, especially since most of the affected students are not South African and have no one to turn to."
SRC chairperson Thulani Madinginye said the student body was aware of the situation and was addressing it.
"We have dealt with about 200 cases and 17 are still in transit or temporary accommodation."
Madinginye added that the situation could be avoided if students arrived on time so that the administration could be processed before they started classes.
Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo, UCT's deputy vice-chancellor, said the university had 11 777 students competing for 500 beds.
Five hundred students, who were on the waiting list, had been advised in advance that there was no place for them, he added.
Nhlapo said some of the students acted of their own accord and paid without securing housing.
"An important consideration is the relationship between 'take-up rate' and the practice of 'over-offering'. Unlike some universities we do not stipulate an advance payment to secure a residence place, and therefore we have to speculate on how many students offered a residence place will actually take up the offer.
"We have to make our over-offers by guessing the take-up rate each year... managing each year to make enough over-offers to offset cancellations by students who, for one reason or another, do not take up their place at UCT.
"If we get it wrong, we are stuck with empty places in residences, which is undesirable for both financial and moral reasons."
The deputy vice-chancellor added that students who found alternative accommodation could apply for refunds.
