Bullying and humiliation by Sandra Forbey of the ML Sulton Finance Department

The lecturers and department staff leave you with a great experience that makes you believe that the institution has great values and principles yet when it comes to the faculty staff and other admin departments, it becomes a nightmare for students.

What took the trophy was the humiliation I received from Sandra Forbey of the finance department at the ML Sulton campus. I have a query where her department is supposed to confirm that the debt belongs to NSFAS and I can successfully register thereafter. After relaying my request I was told to wait for Sandra Forbey and I did, she was also copied on one of the emails regarding my query…after waiting for a Sandra I do not know, she comes with no name tag nor introduction and stands in front of me and asks “how can I help you” I raise my head and look at her and ask if she’s talking to me and she laughed and told me she can just go back if I don’t want her help, that statement alone made me realise that the lady was used to treating students this way. I told her I’m waiting for Sandra and she said that would be her….ok, I tried to break ice by complementing her name and she waved her hands and shook her head and shouted that I am being sarcastic and she doesn’t do well with sarcastic people, I was literally gobsmacked and I tried to explain I was not just trying to break ice and she insisted I just get to the point! Meanwhile she’s sipping on her Mac Donald’s beverage in front of me with a lot of attitude. When I told her about my query and the email she was copied on her reply was “I haven’t checked my emails today and when I do, I’ll also attend to your when I get to it.!” She completed her sentence on her feet with her back turned against me.

I tried to plead my case, stating that I come from a rural area and volunteer for a humanitarian organisation where sometimes the sites we visit have no network coverage and she still insisted she’ll help me when she gets to my email but I can wait if I insist. She then turned her face towards me again and said “did you see what I just did…I was being sarcastic, just like you were when you complimented my name.” Almost the whole time this experience was just shocking as she would wave her hands, shake her head and keep looking around for audience, she was literally shouting at me! What did I do to this lady? Is complimenting someone worth so much humiliation and mockery?

All I want is to register and I needed the department to assist with confirming that the debt to my name is the responsibility of NSFAS. Sandra decided the second I asked if she was addressing me that she would not help me. She never at any point asked for my student number, name, or even any form of identification, that’s when I realised what she meant when she said she was being sarcastic when she said she’ll attend to my query.

Not once was she ashamed of what she was doing and she was doing it so comfortably that you could tell it’s a norm for her. The fact that none of her colleagues reprimanded her or were shocked by her behaviour towards me meant they’re all used to that behaviour.

How many students have left the institution because of her? How many did not register because she had to prove a point? She reassured me that I do not want to do my master’s with DUT next year because I don’t ever want to find myself in that position ever again!

I may not register because she wants to prove a point, that no one compliments her name and gets away with it. I may lose my sponsor because of constant late submissions due to such behaviour and unnecessary attitude.

I hope this will reach her superiors, I may not be the first or let to leave the institution because of her.