Agb Voorsitter ... [Hon Chairperson ...] [Laughter.] ..
Phini likaMongameli, bahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe namaPhini oNgqongqoshe, Mhlonishwa ngikuthande kakhulu ngakujabulela lapho uthi usukhuluma njengoKhongolose. Ake ungivumele nami ngikhulume njengeNkatha manje. [Uhleko.] Ungilalele futhi mhlonishwa. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Deputy President, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, I was so impressed and happy when you said you were talking like the ANC. Allow me also to speak as the IFP.[Laughter.] You must also listen to me, hon member.]
The IFP and its leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, have always recognised the value of tertiary education in the development of both individuals and society. The birth of the present University of Zululand bears testimony to this recognition. Under the instructions of the late King Cyprian kaSolomon, Prince Buthelezi mobilised amakhosi of Zululand and the community for funds to establish what was then called the University College of Zululand, with its first intake of 60 students in 1960. This happened in spite of the fierce propaganda that was directed at this initiative, calling this institution pejoratively a "bush university".
Today we stand very proud of that so-called "bush university", which has gone on to produce many leaders who have made a substantial mark on the development of both our country and our continent. Among those leaders we can mention the hon Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the hon Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr B E Nzimande ... [Applause.] ... the hon Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr J T Radebe, and, of course, the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zululand, Prof F N M Mazibuko-Mwelase, who is sitting there in the gallery amongst the vice- chancellors.
The establishment of Mangosuthu Technikon, now the Mangosuthu University of Technology, was as a result of the personal efforts of Prince Buthelezi, and not the government. Through his friend, Mr Harry Oppenheimer of Anglo American, Prince Buthelezi obtained funds for the establishment of that technikon. The institution is today a major contributor to the skills development that our country so desperately requires. This is a prime example of how the corporate world can contribute to the building of a strong skills-based future for South Africa. Therefore, hon Minister, our support for your efforts in skills development in South Africa is historical.
We are also proud of the fact that our tertiary institutions rank consistently high on the continent, with South African universities holding the top five places in the university web ranking for 2013. This must be commended. [Applause.]
We know it will require bold and decisive leadership on your part - I've heard that ungumfana wakwaDambuza [you are a lad from KwaDambuza,] and we recommend that - as people become entrenched in their comfort zones. [Laughter.] One of these comfort zones is the institutional autonomy of universities, which you have mentioned. Some universities have become too complacent with regard to bringing about transformation. If autonomy is to be respected, transformation needs to be brought about.
The struggles in our education system have always been fought mainly on two issues - language as a medium of tuition, and funding. Whilst we have done away with discriminatory funding in our education system, the sector still faces immense challenges. We welcome and appreciate the role that NSFAS has played in promoting wider access to tertiary education for our youth. NSFAS has disbursed R7,7 billion in loans to students, which has ensured not only that it spent its entire budget, but that the number of students assisted increased.
Challenges that remain include registration delays, the abuse of the system by those who present false documentation in order to pass the means test, and officials who use the system for political patronage. If this situation is allowed to continue, access to funding will end up being a case of survival of the most loyal to the ruling party, irrespective of merit! We hope this will not be the case and that this kind of dysfunctional and toxic modus operandi will no longer be tolerated. Chairperson, time permitting, I hope to come back to this point of political patronage when it comes to the disbursing of NSFAS funds.
With the increased number of students applying to universities each year, the need for more universities is apparent. Therefore, the declared September 2013 commencement of the building of the two universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape must be adhered to. The department must also clarify where the proposed nine public institutions being turned into community colleges will be and when this will be done.
In conclusion, the department is making progress, but more can always be done, and it is in this vein that we urge the Minister to press on with his mission of providing our youth with high-quality, accessible tertiary education.
Let me go back to this point of political patronage.