The ANC welcomes the handing over of 105 bursaries from the National Skills Fund Bursary Scheme at Vuselela FET College in North West recently. The ANC continues to fulfil former ANC President Oliver Tambo's vision of an educated cadre of youth emancipating South Africa from the shackles of poverty. The communities were called upon together with other sectors of society to join the government in its commitment to raising educational levels and improving the training and skills of the country's growing numbers of young people.
This effort follows the announcement by the Minister of Higher Education late last year that the department had secured a 26% increase in state funding from R3,8 billion in 2010 to R4,8 billion in 2012; and that FET college bursary allocations rose from R318 million in 2010 to R1,75 billion in 2012. The ANC calls upon the recipients of these bursaries to use this opportunity to the best of their abilities. I thank you. [Applause.]