I thought it may be ominous that our debate is on this day, particularly because it was also in this province, in 1905, where segregation in schools began through Cecil John Rhodes, a policy which Verwoerd continued when he became the Minister of Native Affairs in 1945. We are talking of a rich history of our people being disadvantaged, and we understand the challenges that MaMotshekga faces to undo that long and hard history of the political, economic, social and cultural subjugation of the people they found in this part of the land when they came here in 1652. But let us not go into history now. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
The Minister is correct when he says that the ANC seeks to introduce free education for the poor, because there had been free education that was mandated for white people. It is very important to say so because the changes that we would like to introduce are causing a lot of pain to my friends on the other side. [Interjections.] We accept that it must be painful, of course, and that is why you are laughing because you enjoyed those freedoms. [Interjections.]
Traditionally black institutions had to serve predominantly African students who were the sons and daughters of the exploited and impoverished urban and rural poor, and these people never had the wherewithal to be able to pay for their education. Those people would be found at the universities of Fort Hare, Limpopo, Venda, Zululand and so on. We say we accept what the Minister says - that R19,4 billion will go to the universities.
Our message, as a committee, is that in the past 17 years of our democracy, we have not really cared to scrutinise whether our universities are indeed doing well in that area, because it is about transformation. The Auditor- General of South Africa says they are going to begin to facilitate auditing of universities and Further Education and Training, FET, colleges for the purpose of ensuring openness, transparency and accountability. We, as the committee, will take our responsibility to ensure that those funds are spent properly for those purposes.
Minister, this day is four days before the 10th anniversary of the report. We - together with the students - used to call it the South African Council for Educators, SACE, and Council on Higher Education, CHE, report. In this report there is a promise that we made to our people, and I think in the sweetness of the victory of our elections, you say that you are truly going to feel it.
We will wait for the report of Comrade Ramaphosa to ensure that the new funding formula for universities is able to cover the following issues: first, there is institutional access traps, because the university where Ruth was taught and became a professor is serving white people. Only a few people who are Africans are able to study there. I don't want to go into that history. I've got examples, but there is no time. I must cut to the chase now.
We need to look at the economic profile of the universities in the country. We need to look at the institutional formations of universities, such as the University of Stellenbosch and all of them. We need to look at the responsiveness of those institutions to our strategic imperatives as a state in terms of development. We need to address the question of redress and equity in that policy, and we'll know that next time we'll be smiling and they will be crying. [Laughter.]
In the process of preparing for this debate, I consulted a report by a certain Dr Badat, quite a distinguished scholar of our country. He says in the next nine years, a total of 32% of academics will actually be retiring. Now, 50% of the professoriate - they are mostly white - is currently facing retirement. [Interjections.] No, I can't differentiate. You classified people in the past, for instance.