The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, will deliver the keynote address at the official opening of three buildings at the University of Zululand.
The event will see the official opening of a newly constructed Engineering building, 442 new beds, the refurbished Madiba House and the Richards Bay Lodge lodge, which will support teaching and learning and research and provide students with sleeping accommodation.
Over the past three decades, South Africa’s Post School Education and Training (PSET) sector has experienced a significant rise in student enrollment.
This has made it even more necessary for government infrastructure planning to keep up with this growth.
In response to this growth, in the 2016/17 financial year, the Department of Higher Education established the Sibusiso Bhengu – Development Programme (SBDP), formerly known as the Historically Disadvantaged Institutions Development Grant (HDI-DG).
This Programme was meant to assist Historically Disadvantaged Institutions in addressing historical backlogs and setting a foundation for future sustainability and excellence.
This Programme included eight institutions of which the University of Zululand was part.
To support the development of these institutions, Government allocated a total of R1.9 billion over the first five years, which was the period 2016/17 to 2020/21.
The Sibusiso Bhengu – Development Programme framework is anchored on seven strategic priorities.These are:
a) Institutional Management and Governance;
b) Infrastructure and Facilities;
c) Student Experience;
d) Staff Development;
e) Academic Enterprise;
f) Research and Innovation; and
g) Relationships and Partnerships.
Through this Programme, Government has been able to significantly expand the infrastructure of our South Africa's Post-School Education and Training sector.
The media are invited as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Time: 08:00
Venue: University Zululand, KwaDlangezwa and Richards Bay Campys, KZN
Media enquiries:
Mr. Veli Mbele (Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson to the Minister)
Cell: 064 615 0644
E-mail: Veli.Mbele@dsti.gov.za
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