institutions
2 May 2006
The restructuring process that has been underway in higher education has
thus far led to the provision of additional funding totalling R1,2 billion. Of
this, R457 million was made available for recapitalisation of the following
universities:
* University of the Western Cape (R170 million)
* University of fort Hare (R100 million)
* Durban University of Technology (R163 million)
* University of the Free State (QwaQwa campus) (R24 million).
The Ministry will be making recapitalisation funds available to other
qualifying institutions during the course of the year, once institutional
operating plans are approved. The recapitalisation funds are intended to bring
a qualifying institution to a level of funding adequate for its operations, by
amongst others, addressing its debt.
R741 million has been allocated to institutions for direct merger costs,
such as the integration of academic and administrative structures and also
importantly includes the upgrading of facilities through support for
infrastructural development, including the following:
* R150 million to the University of KwaZulu-Natal for the relocation of
academic faculties;
* R30 million to the University of Fort Hare for the refurbishment of student
residences on the Alice campus;
* R42 million to North West University for refurbishment of student residences
on the Mafikeng campus and for additional facilities at the Vaal Triangle
campus;
* R36 million to Tshwane University of Technology for refurbishment of student
residences on the Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa campuses;
* R18 million to Cape Peninsula University of Technology for the upgrading of
the library on the Bellville campus.
* R14.67 million has also been provided to Venda University to assist in
addressing serious infrastructural backlogs.
The Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor, is particularly pleased that
funds have been made available to improve student residences on a number of
university campuses. This is an important step towards the improvement in the
quality of student life on campuses where there has been little or no
investment in the maintenance of buildings in the past.
The Minister is also pleased to announce that, to date, R280 million of the
merger related funding has gone to improving the overall Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) functionality of institutions through
investment in the renewal of ICT networks, infrastructure and, computer systems
etc.
Enquiries: Tommy Makhode
Cell: 082 466 0446
Issued by: Ministry of Education
2 May 2006
