University of the Western Cape officials said the move to shutdown campus residences was taken in line with their mandatory COVID vaccination policy.

On Friday night night, students returned to their dorms to find they’d been locked out.

A student, who asked to remain anonymous, said some students were left to sleep outside or on the streets while others locked themselves in their rooms to avoid eviction.

“I told them I need to pack. That’s how they opened my room and I got access and I never left my room. We are basically locked in here. I cannot leave my room. I cannot go to work because what if I come back and I don’t have a place to sleep?”

But UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said students were notified well in advance.

“The decision of the UWC COVID response task team was that all UWC residences would be closed from 17 December 2021. The task team circulated a notice on 2 December 2021 informing the students and campus community of the need for residences to be vacated. There are a few exceptional cases where access will be provided for use of laboratories only,” Abarder said.