What I want to say today to the hon Deputy Minister and to this House is that there is so much money - many millions of rands - and this department is busy ploughing it into ... [Interjections.]
Let me conclude by saying ... [Interjections.]
This leads me to ask the hon Deputy Minister that the amount of R200 million that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme was allocated over the 2008 year period. Is that the money you are using now, or is it a new budget? I thank you.
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Mphathisihlalo, neSekela likaNgqongqoshe wezeMfundo ePhakeme, akusiyo neze imfihlo ukuthi okuseqhulwini lika hulumeni kulo mhlangano wukuba kwenziwe izinguquko ezweni lakithi kwesasihlangabezana nakho okuyizinkinga; kuyo yonke indawo, ezikoleni zethu, ngisho emanyuvesi ethu.
Ngiyazi-ke ukuthi kwesinye isikhathi kuye kwenzeke - laphaya emanyuvesi - umuntu ahlangabezana nezinkinga zokungakwazi ukwelekeleleka nokuthola izinsiza njengezinsiza zokwenza ucwaningo kahle ukuze umsebenzi uhambe ngendlela efanele kumuntu ngamunye ezikoleni.
Ngiyazi ukuthi lo Mnyango eniwuphethe usezingeni eliphakeme, ngakho akusiyo neze imfihlo ukuthi ezikoleni zethu siyaye sihlangabezane nezinkinga zabafundi abangaphumeleli ekupheleni konyaka futhi abahluleka ukuhlangabezane nezidingo zokuba bamukeleke ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.
Lezi zinselele ziyaye zivame ezikoleni zethu zabantu basemakhaya nabantu abamnyama ikakhulukazi emalokishini ethu. Kutholakale ukuthi siyadoja nothisha bethu ngokunjalo nabo bayadoja, akuyona imfihlo ongaze uyifihle ngoba yizinto ezenzakalayo lezi. Ngiyafisa ukuthi kube khona lolu hlobo lokuhlola ukuthi ingabe umfundi noma uthisha wenza umsebenzi wakhe ngokuzinikela. Kufuneka lezi zinto zixhunyaniswe ngendlela ebonakalayo nanahloli bezizinda zezikole babone ukuthi izikole ziqhuba kahle ukuze sikwazi ukuba nabafundi abakwazi ukungena ezikhungweni zamabanga aphakeme emfundo.
Singeke saphika ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika endala yayingenakho ukuhlinzeka - ikakhulukazi abantu bebala; yayihlinzeka kakhulu uhlobo oluthile lwabantu noma lwezingane zabantu abadla izambane elikhulu likapondo. Uma ngibheka, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe abantu babefisa ukuba bafunde baqede iziqu zabo zokuqala bese benza iziqu ze-honours ne-masters. I-National Student Financial Aid Scheme yayingakwazi ukukusiza uma wenza iziqu ze-Honours, masters ne-PHD ngoba kwakuthiwa hhayi ngeke usakwazi ...
Uma ngibheka lolu daba lokuthi izingane zethu lezi ezifuna ukufunda, odadewethu abafuna ukufunda bakwazi ukwesekwa, yinto enhle kakhulu leyo ezosiza nezwe lakithi. Ngiyakuncoma ukuthi uyakubalula la ukuthi ama-FET college nizowavakashela niyobheka ukuthi kwenzekani kuwona.
Ngiyafisa, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe, ukuthi nenze ubudlelwane nezimboni. Kulesiya sikhungo engangifunda kuso Empangeni, okuthiwa yiNyuvesi yase- Zululand, sasingenabo ngisho ubudlelwane no Alsafa, onxiwa abakhulu, nezinye izimboni ezithile. Kwakungukuzifundela nje, uma uqeda lapho bese uhamba uyohlala ekhaya nesitifiketi sakho; uyoze uzibonele ukuthi umsebenzi uwuthola kanjani.
Egameni leqembu lethu ngiyaleseka ivoti leSabiwomali soMnyango wakho ngoba ngiyabona ukuthi nikhona ukuba nikwazi ukufeza izidingo zabantu abahluphekayo emakhaya basizakale uma izingane zakithi emakhaya zithanda ukufunda, zilithole lelo thuba.
Nakhona kungakuhle ukuthi ningenelela ngoba abafundi bayaye bangathathwa ezikhungweni eziphakeme, kuthiwe sekugcwele. Noma-ke umuntu uma eseqede umatikuletsheni, engenamali engazi ukuthi angaya kuphi ukuyofunda, uma ethi ufaka isicelo sokufunda kuthiwe sekugcwele. Uma ningakwazi ukungenelela lapho ngoba amanyuvesi azimele nje kodwa nawo anemikhawulo. Ngibonga kakhulu, Mphathisihlalo. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Chairperson, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, it is no secret that government's main concern in this meeting is to make changes in our country in respect of the problems we encountered - in all aspects - in our schools, and even in our universities.
I know that sometimes at the universities one can encounter problems of not getting support and resources such as those used to conduct research so that one can achieve excellent results.
I know that the department you are heading is at a high level, and therefore it is no secret that in our schools we encounter problems with learners who do not pass at the end of the year and thus do not meet the requirements for admission to tertiary institutions.
These challenges are most common in our schools in the rural areas and among black people, especially in our townships. You find that learners miss school and the teachers do the same thing. There is no need to keep this secret, because these things happen. I wish there could be an assessment programme that can check if a child or a teacher is devoting herself to her work. These things must be incorporated so the district inspectors can see if the schools are doing well, and so that we can have learners who are accepted at tertiary institutions.
We cannot deny the fact that the old South Africa did not make provision - especially for the people of colour; it provided for a special kind of people or for the children of the rich. If I look at it, hon Minister, people were willing to study and graduate with diplomas and then do their honours and master's degrees. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme could not sponsor people who were doing honours or master's degrees, nor those who were studying towards their PhD because they would say you cannot ...
The fact that our children, our sisters, who want to study can be supported, is one great thing that will help our country. I applaud you for pointing out that you will visit FET colleges to check what is happening there.
Hon Minister, I wish you could work in partnership with the industries. At the University of Zululand at Empangeni, where I studied, we did not even have a relationship with Alsafa, the big businesses and other industries. One was just studying for the sake of it, because after completing your studies you would go back home with your certificate, and you would have to see for yourself how to get a job. On behalf of our party I support your department's Budget Vote because I can see that you are there to serve the needs of poor people in the rural areas and to provide opportunities for children who are willing to study.
It would be good if you could intervene, because at times children are not accepted at tertiary institutions because those institutions are full. When children matriculate and do not have money and do not know where to go to further their studies, when they send in their applications they are told it is full. Please intervene in that regard, because the universities are operating as if they are independent, whereas they have boundaries too. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Applause.]]