NATIONAL REAL ESTATE REFUSES TO REFUND ME!

In regards to National Real Estate in Bloemfontein. I have been renting with the agency since March. I obtained the flat as a student, and due to no income to guarantee monthly rental payment, I had asked my mother to take the flat on my behalf. So I and my mother asked for loans around on monthly basis to sustain me on the property and to support my studies while we waited on the NSFAS bursary. I also included 2 other people with me in the flat, and in the contract as occupants to help with the rent because the agency couldn't allow me to live in the property on credit. When the bursary was ready to start funding students, the institution issued lease forms to fill together with the agency. I went to National Real Estate and explained to the maintenance admin and clerks at the debt collectors office that the Institution is going to pay accommodation funds directly to them and they must refund me the money because I had been paying the rent. I further explained that the institution assumes that I'm renting on credit with the agency, and therefore the University will pay accommodation funds backdated from February but because the agency has already received the rental payments for those months they will have to refund me. In response, the clerks assured me that they have had a meeting with their HOD and that they are not in contract with the institution or my bursary but they have a contract with me( as an acting account holder, for my mother had instructed the agency to direct all invoices and queries to me), and they further told me that I will have to bring with a proof of my bank account, and also an indication that the money was paid. This was the understanding I had with the agency initially and they reassured me that I am their client, and the university or the bursary is not their client. If I was anyway dissatisfied with their answer I would have definitely on the spot handed them a notice to vacate their flat, and search for reasonable agencies or private landlords. Today as we speak it's been 3 weeks since the accommodation funds were paid to the agency but they are refusing to refund me the money although I have no outstanding fees with them. They asked me to show proof the money is paid, show proof of which months the money paid is covering, asked for a letter from my mother to grant permission to refund into my account, they had asked for my student identification, they had asked for proof of my account---all these were provided to them but still no refund. Then I decided to issue notice to vacate since I cannot any longer trust the agency. Today they send an email saying that they need permission from the institution to refund me ----------like what????, are you in contract with the institution or in contract with me? And also they said that If i cancel the contract they will return the money to the institution, it's like they are doing this out of spite and without care for their customers. I WISH NO SOUL TO WORK WITH THIS AGENCY, THE HELL THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO ME NO ONE MUST GO THROUGH SUCH. After writing this today, I will give them one day and then escalate the matter to court. Its during exams and I cannot concentrate on my studies due to the incompetence of this agency. I have suffered the entire term making loans to pay up the rent money and to stay within agreed terms of contract. Today i am in loans, and i have received the money to pay those loans but NATIONAL REAL ESTATE refuses to refund me, while my interest charges on loans goes up. Are they going to reimburse me? UNBELIEVABLE, JUST UNBELIEVABLE!!!! whoever reads this please do not use this agency nomatter how desperate you are for a place to stay. I am gonna fight for my money and i am gonna get it with interest, on that I m determined.