Comrades
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.
I am very pleased indeed to be here today at the official launch of the anti-hunger youth organisation project. This is indeed a noble project which puts bread directly on the table of needy Further Education and Training college students and other institutions in the post school sector. I must immediately thank the young women, Thabi Ngcobo and other students, who initiated this project in 2009 while studying Public Management National Diploma at Mangosuthu University of Technology.
Iyadlondlobala le project as today it supports 300 students at FET Colleges as well as universities. Humanitarian initiatives of this nature should not be taken for granted. They are important in alleviating poverty and other socio-economic problems. To Ms Ngcobo and other young women associated with this project I say: you are doing sterling work. You are the social activists with a positive energy rather than these NGOs which are permanently lamenting and attacking government, and you are an example to this country and to the world. You are pioneers of change and your efforts will undoubtedly inspire youth in different parts of the country to undertake similar projects. Ngithi kini igama lamakhosikazi malibongwe.
Your efforts remind me that the youth of the pre-democratic era were also agents of change and ensured that the country was liberated from apartheid. Through this Anti-Hunger project, all of us can see that the youth of today is confronting, head on, the challenges they face including hunger and unemployment. This also demonstrates that the efforts of the pre-democratic era youth were not in vain. Some of these, like Solomon Mahlangu who was hanged by the apartheid regime in 1978, sacrificed their lives in order for us to live freely in liberated South Africa. We should be grateful that due to the sacrifices of their predecessors youth no longer has to take up weapons as they work for a better life.
Bantu bakithi, government cannot address the scourge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment alone. That is why it is gratifying to learn that this Anti- Hunger project has looked for and found funding outside the sphere of government. The generous funders of this project play a significant role in improving the lives of the downtrodden and some of them are here today. Ngithi to such sponsors, ngiyajabula kakhulu ngokuthi nixhase loluhlelo olulwisana nendlala. You have indeed embraced government’s slogan of: “Together, we can do more”.
Comrades, just recently, on 17 September, the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, revealed that Government has developed a national policy on food and nutrition security in partnership with the Department of Social Development. The policy includes a food production intervention called ‘Fetsa Tlala’ or ‘end hunger’.‘Fetsa Tlala’ is aimed at ensuring that under utilised agricultural land is put to good use.
Government will be working with communities in food production related projects. This is a step in the right direction and I hope that this Anti- Hunger initiative will establish workable partnerships with Fetsa Tlala.
As the Department of Higher Education and Training we take the issue of needy students in the post school sector very seriously. So, to the initiators of this project, let me assure you that you are not alone. My department has established the DHET FET Colleges Bursary Scheme to ensure that lack of funds does not constitute a barrier towards accessing post school education. This bursary scheme is particularly aimed at benefiting students from poor backgrounds as well as supporting those who are doing well academically. In addition to college fees and an accommodation subsidy, the DHET FET Colleges Bursary Scheme provides a travel subsidy for students.
To show our commitment to FET colleges and to ensure that students have access to post school education, at DHET we have increased the FET College bursary allocation from R318 million in 2010, to one billion seven hundred and thirty four million rand in 2012 to one billion nine hundred and eighty eight million rand in 2013. During this period, FET college head count enrolment has grown by 90% between 2010 and 2012, from 345 566 in 2010 to 657 690 in 2012.The DHET FET College Bursary Scheme assisted 188 182 students in 2012. It is expected that 222 817 students will benefit from it this year.
We have invested significantly in FET Colleges. The total allocation for FET colleges has increased from R3.8 billion in 2010 to R5.4 billion in the current financial year.
A significant investment has been made in the allocation of financial assistance to students via the DHET FET Colleges Bursary Scheme. When the scheme was first introduced in 2007, its allocation was R100 million. This year, an amount of R1.988 billion has been set aside to assist poor and academically-deserving students to access programmes of study in FET colleges across the country. This is no mean feat by any measure.
In this province alone, an amount of R140.524 million has been allocated for bursaries. Through this support and strengthening of FET Colleges we are also wanting to turn these into colleges of choice and underline the fact that university education is not the only post school educational path to acquire skills and further education. In fact most of the mid-level skills we are short of (e.g. Artisans), can only be acquired through FET colleges.
We are also going to be investing a total of R5 billion into college infrastructure, equipment and other improvement projects. In the KZN province we are from this year going to be building 12 new FET campuses, and 2 new skills Centres and all these will create an additional 20 000 new FET college spaces. Here in Pietermaritzburg I am pleased to announce that we have put in an amount of R300 million into the DUT Indumiso complex to expand infrastructure and programme offerings in engineering and mid-level health professionals. We also need to further upgrade the Plessislaer FET college campus as part of this revitalisation of that educational precinct. This is also going to create jobs in this City and expand post school education and training opportunities in this province.
The figures speak for themselves: we are providing extensive, and growing, support to FET students.
But there is one disturbing issue connected to the FET bursary scheme which ought to be raised today. Our department cannot allow students to view the scheme as some kind of social grant. For example, some students do not attend classes. Such students, bad apples, only emerge at the end of the month to collect their accommodation and travel allowances.
This is very disturbing and raises serious questions as to how some students perceive education. The government is doing its best to meet the various needs of its citizens, and there are mil lions of deserving South Africans who we would help further if we had the resources to do so. We cannot allow ourselves to be taken advantage of by a minority of students who have gone astray and who seem to feel that they deserve support with no effort or commitment on their part. My request to you is: let us encourage our students, all of them, to be responsible and to use tax payers’ money in a meaningful way.
I also wish to say we are addressing in earnest the backlog in resulting and certification in FET colleges. We have had huge backlogs going back to 2007. We are pleased to say that as from April this year we have issued a total of 320 000 full and subject certificates, thus drastically reducing the backlog. There are now about 38 000 outstanding certificates, with 20 000 being withheld by the quality assurance body Umalusi because some of the public and private colleges are owing Umalusi fees. We have instructed all public FET colleges to pay Umalusi the R842 000 they owe without delay, and have also similarly instructed private colleges to do the same, otherwise we will withdraw the accreditation of affected private colleges as exam centres. In essence we are now dealing with only 18 000 outstanding certificates as a matter of urgent priority.
To the organisers of this event: once more I would like to thank you for initiating this Anti-Hunger Project. Initiatives of this nature are welcomed and encouraged by my department.
My message to the beneficiaries is: work hard and succeed in your studies and be torch bearers of projects like the Anti-Hunger Project launched here today.
Ngiyabonga.
