KATLEGO MKHWANAZI

This year’s June holidays saw students in residences make way for some of the World Cup guests.

Six residences were used to accommodate the guests: Madelief, Magrietjie, Asterhof and Erika hosted Algerian nationals, while Nerina and Katjiepiering hosted Uruguay nationals.          There were approximately 1 400 guests staying in the different residences. “All our rooms were full, so we eventually had to move some of the other guests to the neighbouring residences,” said Ms Charmaine Luür, Madelief building supervisor.

However, according to the project manager Ms Bes Liebenberg, the turn up was still less than anticipated. “We are none the less grateful for the guests we had,” she added. 

The biggest challenge for TuksRes was the language barrier. The guests either spoke French, Spanish or Arabic. “It was hard for us to communicate with each other. We eventually resorted to hand gestures,” said Ms Luür. The internet was also used to help translate notices into the foreign languages. “Luckily some of the students were fluent in Spanish and French, so they also helped with translating,” Ms Liebenberg said.        

The guests unfortunately didn’t leave without causing damage, like lost keys and two broken windows at Madelief. “One of the guests broke two windows, thinking that his bus had left without him. “The guy just became hysterical and broke the windows,” explained Ms Luür.                                                                                                                                        

Despite the challenges, those involved in hosting the guests agree that the guests were pleasant to be around.

Ms Luür states that the guests at Madelief were friendly and they had a lot of spirit. “The Algerians were interested in our cultures; some were even learning Sepedi,” said Ms Luür.        

Asterhof building supervisor, Ms Lindi Erasmus, said she enjoyed watching the guests paint their faces ahead of the matches, singing songs like Algeria 1, 2, 3 and dancing with the Zulu dancers at Hatfield Plaza.                                                                                             

The last guests left on 2 July. TuksRes has received positive feedback on its hospitality. “They seemed to find the residences clean and sufficient,” said Ms Nyasha Kuzinya, Asterhof’s Primaria. Ms Liebenberg said that the project was successful and that it was a learning experience for the residences’ hospitality. She added that, “The project motivated the staff and got everyone excited and involved in the World Cup.”                                                

One of the goals of the project was to make profit. The profit will be used for residence purposes like maintenance. “We haven’t balanced the bills yet, so we don’t yet know how much we made,” explained Ms Liebenberg.             

When asked if TuksRes would like to get involved in another major project in future, Ms Liebenberg stated that TuksRes is more than willing to take on another project if an opportunity presents itself. “But that is only if the project is financially viable and doesn’t leave the students at a disadvantage,” said Ms Liebenberg. “The students in res are our main priority.”