Sihlalo lohloniphekile, Indvuna Yelitiko Letemfundvo Lephakeme Netekucecesha, Tindvuna tematiko letikhona lapha endlini kanye netivakashi letikhona, ngibonga kutsi singene kulensindzabetjatsi lenkhulu kangaka yetemfundvo lamuhla. Njengobe sihlangene lapha nje lamuhla, siphuma kuyawugubha umkhosi welusuku lwemalungelo ebantfu labalimala kakhulu.
Angisho nje, Sihlalo, kutsi lenhlangano leyalwela emalungelo ebantfu yahlangana ngemnyaka wanga 1955. Emkhatsini wetintfo leyakhetsa kutsi itakutenta kutsi iyawuvula ematiko etemfundvo yabo bonkhe bantfu balapha eNingizimu Afrika. Sihlalo, lamuhla sihlangene lapha nje sitewukhuluma ngalendzaba lenkhulu yekutsi temfundvo lephakeme tibaluleke kangakanani, kuze sikwati nekusekela emasu ekutsi tisebente kahle kulomnyakatimali walonyaka.
Ngitsandza kukhumbuta Indvuna yetemfundvo lephakeme kutsi, ngalomnyaka lophelile Ngenhlaba yetsembisa bantfu kutsi itakwenta ngawo onkhe emandla ayo kutsi ibeke eceleni imali lefanele kuze kusitakale bantfu bakulelive. (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)
[Mr G S RADEBE: Hon Chairperson, Minister of Higher Education and Training, Ministers of departments and guests present in the House, I am grateful that today we are discussing an important issue on education. We are gathered here today, soon after commemorating the day on which human rights were grossly violated.
I must say, Chairperson, that the organisation that fought for human rights met in the year 1955. What it chose to do, amongst other things, was to open education opportunities for all the people of South Africa. Chairperson, today we are gathered here to discuss the importance of higher education, so that we will be able to support strategies that will make it operate efficiently in the current financial year.
I would like to remind the Minister of Higher Education and Training that last year in June he promised people that he will do his utmost to set aside enough money so that the people of this country can be assisted.]
The current state of higher education facilities is insufficient as we only have 23 universities in the whole county. These can only accommodate a few students. Of the 350 000 matriculants that passed, universities can only register 100 000 students. The statistics prove undoubtedly that the country needs more universities and other post-schooling institutions.
Hon Minister, it is a fact that all the other students not counted here have not been accommodated by these institutions. They are out there gallivanting about, and it is not known what they are doing. The Department of Higher Education and Training should do something about this situation as soon as possible.
A country that does not educate its nation does not have a future. It is in that spirit that the ANC vowed in its manifesto to prioritise education within its five key priorities. Hence, President Jacob Zuma emphasised that "Education must be at the centre of our efforts to improve the potential of every citizen and enable each one of us to play a productive role in building our nation."
Minister, it is important to make sure that when you negotiate with teachers, you emphasise the importance of education, that it is a high priority.
It is very important, hon James, to ensure that we follow due process when we speak about the issue of universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. It is important to note that this issue is being dealt with at the highest level of the nation, and the Minister has just pronounced that he has taken the initiative. The pronouncement made by the President in his state of the nation address about the establishment of fully fledged universities that must be built in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape has to be realised.
The Minister must ensure that this is implemented so as to fulfil the commitments made by our President to the nation. The people of the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga welcome the announcement made by the Minister today, and we assure the Minister that we are going to support him in this regard. But you must make sure, Minister, that this does not become an empty promise, and is realised as soon as possible.
It is important that we speak about the accessibility of education in rural areas. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme should take the important initiative of effectively marketing the NSFAS in those previously disadvantaged areas. We further encourage the Department of Higher Education and Training to speedily establish a research task team that will be able to work together with the unions, the student organisations and the people of those respective provinces, because without those people we cannot succeed with implementation.
Together we can achieve and expand quality education and access for all. It is exciting to see the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Department of Trade and Industry working together in establishing the co-ops academy for there to be access to education in the rural areas.
With this budget debate on the newly established Department of Higher Education and Training, the department should kick-start the process of researching the type of universities that must be built in these two provinces. These universities should reflect the very important state of our new democracy - reflect transformation - so that they do not have to be transformed at a later stage.
As we welcome the review report of the NSFAS, we also acknowledge the mammoth task ahead of us in ensuring that we address the critical question of whether the NSFAS provides financial assistance to more for less, or to less for more. However, at the forefront we need to ensure that as the ANC government we encourage students from the working class and poor communities to go to tertiary institutions by providing all kinds of financial support, and that we reaffirm our commitment through our 52nd conference resolutions.
Indeed, Mr Minister, in my capacity I would encourage the NSFAS to ensure that it provides 100% financial assistance to make sure that all students get accommodation, food, transport, etc. All this should be given to needy and poor students. A better skilled and educated community is capable of driving the agenda of the developmental state.
It is important that there is enhanced, proper and close monitoring of the universities and Setas as we are going to align these two systems. The notion of not funding Setas is an element of corrupt naughtiness that comes from the opposition party. We recommend to the Minister of Finance that he run a lifestyle audit of university councils, as we notice the sleaziness that goes with the tendency of "tenderpreneurs" amongst them, as the Minister has mentioned.
Transformation in these higher education institutions has become a national anthem, as some of these universities also failed to provide us with holistic reports on transformation. It is no surprise that some of those universities, hon Minister, are in Cape Town.
When we did an oversight visit of one of these universities we discovered that transformation was only happening at the top management level, namely that of the University of Stellenbosch. When we encouraged them to do transformation holistically, we discovered that some of the members from the opposition party defended this practice.
We want to discourage the issue of people not accepting transformation. As the ANC, we reject the notion of engaging or negotiating transformation; we want transformation to happen now. Bantfu abayekele ingevu. [People must stop idle talk.]
The President, in his state of the nation address, stated that this was the year of action. This country should stop negotiating transformation and implement it now.
It is important that we notice that the hon James made a few comments about FETs not having enough funding. We have noticed that the funding is not enough, but it is unfortunate that while he was galvanising his experts he never came forward to assist the country. It really shows that there is still a notion of ... kusebentela likhaya lakenu kunekusebentela sonkhe sive [working for your own family rather than working for the whole nation].
It is very important to note that in this respect the ANC and the portfolio committee are going to support you, Minister. As you require more support and financial assistance from the Department of Finance, we are going to support you and ensure that you improve in your work. In that regard, the ANC supports this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]