A rousing welcome for President Zuma at TUT Soshanguve Campus
President Jacob Zuma undertook a highly successful visit to Soshanguve and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria as part of the Presidential Siyahlola Monitoring Programme yesterday, 23 June 2015.
Thousands of students and community members turned out to receive and listen to the President, following complaints that had been received about living conditions in the residences, taverns that surround the campus and the security situation on campus. A student was killed last year on campus and violent protests included the burning of at least 18 cars.
"I am encouraged by the response of the students which indicates that our message that education is the apex priority for the country has been received far and wide in the country. We have discovered a positive problem at TUT, the problem of an oversupply of students leading to inadequate accommodation. We are happy that young people are hungry for education in our country in this manner and we are challenged as government to respond to this challenge positively," said the President.
Government has responded to the requests from TUT by refurbishing some of the residences and more work will be done to address concerns raised by the students to the President yesterday.
Some of the interventions by government include the following:
- Female residences have been refurbished especially bathrooms which were a cause for concern due to lack of privacy and dignity.
- The area surrounding Botho and TUT North campus is characterised by high unemployment, especially amongst the youth. The Department of Labour has commenced with the process of registering unemployed youth into its database and will provide job placement assistance through Employment Services Practitioners. In addition, the department will explore organising interactive sessions for the work seekers with Career Councillors who will provide advice on basic skills of preparing CVs and preparing for interviews.
- The South African Police Service has initiated an internship programme that will cater for an initial 15 students. CVs have been submitted through the university, Tshwane Metro and the Soshanguve Parliamentary Constituency Office. The process of conducting security checks on the applicants has commenced.
- The Department of Sport and Recreation has erected a multi-purpose centre at Reitumetse High School, which is 5km from the TUT North Campus and will be accessible to the youth around the community serviced by Botho. The facility was constructed at a budget of about R1 million and includes Tennis, Netball, Volleyball, Basketball courts and a soccer pitch.
- The Department of Public Works concluded a lease agreement for Botho Socio-Psychology Empowerment Centre near the campus which provides life skills and training for youth without matric in welding, boiler-making and computer skills to enable them to obtain jobs. The lease is for a period of 9 years 11 months. In addition, the renovation of Thulasizwe Primary Schools where Botho is operating is underway, managed by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development. The renovations include painting, fixing of broken windows, doors and ceilings at a cost of approximately R3.5 million. The Centre has been adopted by TUT students as a corporate social investment project.
- The Department of Energy, in conjunction with the City of Tshwane will attend to the internal wiring of the school and install pre-paid electricity metres at a cost of R 300 000. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) will finalise the accreditation process for Botho once the renovations at Thulasizwe are completed. The City of Tshwane, together with the Department of Water and Sanitation, will be resolving the issue of the water bill and will ensure that water connection is legalised.
- The DHET has moved the students which were housed by Botho at Thulasizwe primary school in unsuitable conditions, to the residences at TUT. The students had been "squatting” at the primary school.
- The President also visited Bethesda church yard which houses more than 70 young people, some of whom are TUT students. They are living under dire conditions split into one shack and two small rooms with one of the church pastors being the caretaker. The Departments of Higher Education and Social Development will continue to assess the situation and find solutions to the plight of the students.
Some sections of the media regrettably gave an incorrect picture of the visit to Soshanguve and elevated to prominence, the ill-disciplined behaviour of less than 10 people out of a crowd of more than 5000. The incidents reported by the media more prominently than the success of the visit, occurred prior to the start of the public meeting addressed by the President and even before the arrival of the President at the South campus of TUT. It is regrettable that the public was not given the true picture of the visit in some sections of the media.
The President has assigned the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to follow up on the undertakings made during the visit.
Enquiries:
Harold Maloka
Cell: 082 847 9799
E-mail: Maloka.harold@gmail.com or Harold@presidency.gov.za
