Question to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology - NW2786

19 August 2015 - NW2786

Kilian, Ms JD to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1) With reference to the expectations that the Technical and Vocational Education and Training college (TVET) sector has to expand significantly, (a) how long has the Mitchell’s Plain campus of the False Bay TVET college been sharing facilities with the high school in Mitchell’s Plain and (b) what are the relevant details of his department’s future infrastructure plan for the expansion of the specified college; (2) whether his department has considered the proposal presented by the False Bay TVET College Council for the acquisition of the Swartklip site situated between Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain; if not, why not; if so, (3) whether any formal negotiations have been entered into with the current owner, the Airports Company of South Africa; if not, why not; (4) whether his department has made budgetary provision in the medium term for the necessary infrastructure roll-out of a campus to serve the community of Mitchell’s Plain; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Source
Link

Reply:

(a) False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College commenced renting and sharing the facilities of Portlands Primary School from 1 April 2004 until the end of 2006. The operations were then relocated to Spine Road High School from 1 January 2007 to date. The demand has outgrown the facilities and the college has secured 17 classrooms at Khanya School for usage from January 2016. The headcount enrolment at the Mitchell’s Plain site in 2014 was 1 149, with the additional facilities secured at Khanya School, the college will be able to accommodate approximately 1 500 students in 2016. The education activities at the Mitchell’s Plain campus will be delivered from two sites in 2016.

(b) The Department had identified the need for expansion of infrastructure for both the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha campuses in 2011. The requirement has been included in the Department’s infrastructure planning and funding bids to National Treasury each year. The process that the Department follows is that all funding secured is mapped against the identified demands and basis of prioritisation. This process is informed by factors such as current available facilities and level of such, pool of potential students and finally the Provincial Indices of Multiple Poverty. In this regard, priority had to be given to sites in other provinces that are listed on a higher level of priority. The funding requirement of False Bay TVET College is still active on the Department’s infrastructure funding list.

(2) False Bay TVET College presented its proposal for the establishment of a campus at the Swartklip Denel site at a meeting, which was chaired by my Deputy Minister on 14 January 2014. I, together with the Department, have since been playing an active role in assisting the college to secure the site. The site is ideally placed to provide access to both the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha areas.

(3) False Bay TVET College, supported by the Department, has been in active dialogue with Denel and the Department of Public Enterprises. Recently, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has shown an interest in purchasing the Swartklip site. To date the college has had two meetings on 29 July 2015 and 5 August 2015 with ACSA in order to ensure that our interests are taken into consideration in the process of acquiring the site from Denel. The Department will be approaching the Minister of Transport in order to secure support for the college, as ACSA resides under the Department of Transport.

(4) The Department works on the basis of prioritised infrastructure support and available funding. In light of the current fiscal climate and the Department’s steadfastness to complete its infrastructure commitments in areas that have high poverty rankings, it is not possible to make a budgetary provision in the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The Department will however explore innovative means to assist with the refurbishment of the Swartklip site once funding has been secured.

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 2786 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING