THOHOYANDOU - Hardly a week after two of the Student Representative Council (SRC) members were suspended for allegedly misusing funds at the University of Venda for Science and Technology, another member has been suspended at the same institution.

Mr Collin Chauke, an SRC member was suspended last week for allegedly misusing R15 000, which was part of money paid by students for an educational trip to Cape Town. According to Mr Peter Lentswane, the acting SRC president, Chauke, who is a second year B Com student and also chairperson of the School of Management Sciences and Law, allegedly misappropriated the funds, which led to the trip being delayed with two days.

The students could therefore not leave on Sunday but only left on Tuesday afternoon. Because of his alleged actions, Chauke was no longer part of the trip.

Lentswane said Chauke confessed to having misappropriated the funds. He is now suspended from taking part in any SRC activity until further investigations against him are concluded. He will soon appear before the disciplinary committee.

Two other SRC members who are suspended for allegedly misusing funds are Philip Leshabane and Pat Mabaso. The two were suspended for allegedly approving a fake trip. Lentswane said that the suspended members were innocent until proven guilty. But when referring to Collin Chauke, Lentswane went on to say "The latter confessed about the fraud. His parents are not working. The university is going to put some mechanisms and strategies in place to recover the money."