Government has attained an important milestone on its journey towards establishing a new health and allied sciences university in the Gauteng province. The development of this new health and allied sciences university is an integral part of the programme of Government to expand access to education and training opportunities for the youth, by increasing the number of young people in education, employment and training.
The National Development Plan envisages an increase in participation in higher education from 17.9% in 2012 to 25% by 2030.
On 26 May 2011, I announced my intention to separate the Medunsa Campus from the competency of the University of Limpopo based on the findings and recommendations of the report of a Task Team led by Professor Makgoba and Dr Max Price. The Task Team had been appointed to review the impact of the merger of the Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa) and the University of North, which resulted in the establishment of the University of Limpopo.
When I made this announcement there was a commitment from the Department that we would open the doors for learning of this institution at the beginning of the 2015 academic year. A number of significant milestones have been achieved, which make the announcement of the establishment of this new health and allied sciences university possible today. I am honoured to be able to announce the name of the new university and the Interim Council members.
The following people have been appointed to the Interim Council:
- Prof Olive Shisana (Chairperson)
- Prof AM Segone
- Dr N. Simelela
- Mr Paul Slack
- Ms Sizo Mchunu
I wish to congratulate them on their appointment and have assured them of our full support.
After a significant process of consultation, I am pleased to announce that the name of this health and allied sciences university is the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. The university is named after a highly-acclaimed politician, journalist, educationist and theologian.
We are proud to advance his lifelong struggle for a South Africa that is legitimate, non-racial, non.-exploitative, free, independent, democratic, and playing its proper role amongst the nations of the world.
We look forward to launching this new university in due course.
Media enquiries:
Vuyo Yekani
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 078 111 0668
Fact sheet
Significant milestones towards the establishment of a new health and allied sciences university in Gauteng
Firstly and significantly, there was an agreement to establish a new medical institution as a stand-alone, autonomous university offering health care related programmes as its core operation and incorporating the Medunsa campus into the new university.
A Joint Technical Task Team was appointed to advice on transitional arrangements needed to separate Medunsa campus from the University of Limpopo and establish a new university, which will incorporate Medunsa campus.
The Joint Technical Task Team (JTTT) compiled a report advising on processes of unbundling the Medunsa Campus of UL and establishing a new university incorporating the Medunsa.
The report proposes, inter alia, a distinctive academic model and Programme Qualification Mix for the new university, situates these in terms of the local, national and international health care and training contexts, examines what infrastructure, facilities, space and clinical training platforms are likely to be required, together with the projected costs thereof, and suggests various transitional arrangements to facilitate the incorporation of the Medunsa campus of the university of Limpopo into the new university.
A legal framework for the separation of the Medunsa Campus from the University of Limpopo and incorporation of the Medunsa Campus of UL into the new university in terms of Section 24 of the Higher Education Act (Act 01 of 1997) was developed.
Consultations in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (Act 3 of 2000) with internal and external stakeholders affected by the unbundling of the University of Limpopo and establishment of the new university into which the Medunsa Campus of UL will be incorporated were held:
- An academic model suitable for a comprehensive university offering health and allied sciences programmes in the South African context with adherence to national health needs and international competitive standards was developed. The model is framed by the health care challenges and needs in South Africa, the strategies intended to address them and the range of health science programmes currently available at universities across the country.
- A feasibility study of the institutional and resource gaps between the Medunsa Campus’s current infrastructure, facilities, space and clinical training platform and what the new university will require if it is to both realise national development and policy priorities and to be academically and financially viable was conducted.
- The study showed that although the academic buildings on the Medunsa campus are mostly well built and in a fair condition, a number of infrastructural aspects are likely to require a large scale funding, including refurbishment of existing and the building of the new student residences and other buildings, improved electricity, water and sewerage reticulation, among others.
- Projection of cost implications of the proposed infrastructure and other building developments intended to accommodate the planned expansion of programmes and enrolments for the first five year phase, 2014 -2019 was conducted. An initial amount of R210 million has been set aside for infrastructure and efficiency funding for the new Health and Allied Sciences University.
- The funds will be utilised for efficiency and process of the demerger. In addition an amount of R30 million has been earmarked for the institutional size factor for the unbundling of the Medunsa campus from the University of Limpopo and the establishment of a new university incorporating the Medunsa campus.
- A protocol for engagement with respect to the incorporation of the Medunsa Campus of the University of Limpopo into the new comprehensive health and allied sciences university was developed. The protocol provides a framework that will facilitate the incorporation where DHET will be the facilitator and overseer of the incorporation process. The document will form part of transitional arrangements for the new university and will be published as a schedule upon promulgation.
- On 28 May 2013 the Minister invited comments from interested persons, higher education institutions and organisations including the Council on Higher Education on his intention to establish a new university incorporating the Medunsa campus. Comments received were considered and are incorporated into the report;
- In the Government Gazette No 37007 dated 6 November 2013 the Minister invited nominations for people whom by virtue of their knowledge, competencies and experience can be nominated as members of the Interim Council of the new university as well as proposals for the name of the new health and allied sciences university. The department received 38 nominations for the Interim Council and 11 names proposed for the new university.
Short biography: Sefako Makgatho
Sefako Mapogo Makgatho was born in 1861 in GaMphatlhele, in the Pietersburg district in the Transvaal Province (now Limpopo province). He was the son of Chief Kgorutlhe Josiah Makgatho and as a young man witnessed many of the developments that led to the end of Pedi polity when the paramount chief was defeated by the Voortrekkers and British Colonial governments around 1879.
He completed his primary education in Pretoria and left South Africa in 1882 to study theology at Ealing in Middlesex, England. He returned to Pretoria in 1885 and started his career as a teacher at the Kilnerton Training Institute, a Methodist School for African children living near Johannesburg until 1906. The Kilnerton Training Institute is known for some of its illustrious students, including Miriam Makeba and Lilian Ngoyi.
In 1906 he, together with other teachers in the Transvaal, formed one of the first teacher unions, the Transvaal African Teachers' Association (TATA). TATA was a trade union for African teachers and an instrument for the transformation of 'Native education' into a non-racial system of universal education for all of South Africa's children.
Makgatho also contributed to the development of TATA’s journal, the Good Shepherd, in 1923, to fight for equal education opportunities for Africans in South Africa. From 1887-1930 he was also an influential Methodist lay preacher.
Makgatho was a keen student of South African affairs and from the beginning he was opposed to the rape of the African continent and understood the threat it posed to the vast natural resources of Africa but also to the freedom, independence and self-determination of her peoples. He made his mark during the first decade of the 20th century as a key figure in the formation of the African Political Union (APU) and the Transvaal Native Organisation. From 1906 to 1908 he served as President of African Political Union.
These two organizations merged with the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) in 1912. In the same year he was elected President of its Transvaal section, the Transvaal Native Congress, from 1912 until 1930. During this period he became involved in journalism and between 1912 and 1914 he teamed up with Alfred Mangena to establish a political journal, The Native Advocate. From 1914 until 1918 he participated in delegations and petitions to London on behalf of our people.
Makgatho was President-General of the SANNC itself from 1917 until 1924 and worked hard to ensure that the movement remained a key factor in the struggle against segregation. In addition, during Makgatho’s presidency the Transvaal SANNC played a significant role in labour disputes affecting African workers and gave active support to the striking workers. Makgatho also used the courts to challenge legislation that affected and undermined Africans in the urban areas, particularly laws relating to their freedom of movement.
He was set against infringement to the common rights of the people which rests upon the elementary principles of justice and humanity. But it was the Transvaal Tax provisions that marked Makgatho as a formidable opponent of the state. The SANNC was renamed the African National Congress (ANC) during his tenure.
From 1930 until 1933 he was a Senior National Treasurer of the ANC and he continued to be involved in provincial campaigns of the ANC in the Transvaal well into the 1940s. At this stage, aged over 80, Makgatho was still considered one of the leading politicians in the country.
Makgatho was a politician, journalist, educationist and theologian. He passed away on 23 May 1951 in Riverside, Pretoria at the age of 90. In the same year, Nelson Mandela’s son from his first marriage with Evelyn was born. In paying tribute to Sefako Makgatho, Mandela named his son after him.
We should continue his lifelong struggle for a South Africa that is legitimate, non-racial, non.-exploitative, free, independent, democratic, and playing its proper role amongst the nations of the world.
