ATC100602: Report Oversight Visit to University of Zululand (UZ), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the University of the Free State (UFS)

Higher Education, Science and Innovation

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON ITS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING, TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE, DATED 2 JUNE  2010

 

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, having undertaken an oversight visit to the University of Zululand (UZ), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the University of the Free State (UFS), reports as follows:

 

1. Introduction

 

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training undertook an oversight visit to the University of Zululand, the Department of Higher Education and Training, Tshwane University of Technology and the University of the Free State on 12 – 15 April 2010 as part of its ongoing oversight visits to institutions of higher learning. The purpose of the oversight visit was primarily to interact with the above mentioned institutions on critical issues such as admissions policy, enrolment planning, merger processes, their transformation plan, student access and success, challenges of student accommodation in residences as well as those experienced by student leadership at higher education institutions.

 

The Committee also interacted with representatives of the National Skills Fund and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in order to ascertain the impact of these entities on skills development in KwaZulu-Natal. The oversight was conducted within the context of the newly reconfigured higher education and training landscape which incorporates the Skills Development functions transferred from the Department of Labour. At the centre of the new arena is the need to facilitate flexible and dynamic linkages between universities, FET colleges, the SETAs and the NSF to meet the differentiated demands and opportunities for skills development across various segments of the sector. By conducting this oversight, the Committee aimed in part to ascertain how the reconfigured sector is responding to this new challenge.

2. Background

 

The oversight visit formed part of the committee’s plan to visit the 23 public higher education institutions with the aim of revisiting the notion of transformation and social cohesion holistically, focusing on issues of student access and success, equity and equality, examining the role of higher education in a developmental state, disbursement of financial assistance in higher education institutions, discussing the need for a more systematic and structured student support systems, feasibility of a more effective skills development strategy and other relevant matters in the higher education and training spectrum.

 

The committee interacted with the three public higher education institutions, the department, and representatives of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) responsible for skills development in KwaZulu-Natalprovince. The interaction with the institutions provided an opportunity for the committee to comprehensively ascertain the level of progress made in relation to the agendas of the visit. Although the visits were relatively brief, it was empirical to note that a visit of this nature added much needed value to the committee as part of its oversight function. The discussion on skills development focusing specifically in KwaZulu-Natal provided the committee with an opportunity to identify the level of development and progress made thus far in the skills sector in the province. It was clear from these proceedings that increased focus to tackle the challenge of the 5 million illiterate adults in the province would be required.

 

3. Composition of the Delegation

 

3.1 The Parliamentary delegation

 

The multi-party delegation from the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training comprised of Mr M Fransman, MP Chairperson (ANC), Ms N Gina MP (ANC), Ms M Kubayi MP (ANC), Mr G Lekgetho MP (ANC), Mr S Makhubele MP (ANC), Ms F Mushwana MP (ANC), Ms W Nelson MP (ANC), Mr S Radebe MP (ANC), Mr G Boinamo MP (DA), and Ms N Vukuza MP (COPE).

 

3.2 The University of Zululand (UZ) representation

 

The UZ was represented by Prof F Mazibuko, Vice-Chancellor; Mr F Doeseb, Acting Registrar; Prof R Gabela-Vika, Head of Department Educational Planning and Administration; Dr M Mokoele, Executive Director of Human Capital; Mr D Makhathini, Chairperson of Labour Movement; Prof B Khoapa, Interim Head of Richards Bay Campus; Mr T Makhathini, Student Representative Council Administrator; Prof T Sibaya, Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Mr D Ocholla, Vice Dean of Arts, Dr M Govindsamy, Chief Financial Officer; Prof  R Ori, Executive Dean of Science and Agriculture; Prof N van den Bergh, Executive Dean of Commerce, Administration and Law and Ms N Mbatha, Student Representative Council Administrator.

 

3. 2 The Department of Higher Education and Training representation

 

The department was represented by Mr J Hoon, Director of SETA Coordination; Prof M Sibara, Chief Director; Mr T Tredoux, Chief Financial Officer; Ms K Menon, Acting Deputy Director-General of Higher Education; Mr Z Hlongwane, Director; Mr F Strydom, Director of National Skills Fund; Ms A Bird, Acting Deputy Director-General of Skills Development; Mr E Mashabane, Acting Chief Director and Ms N Nqaba, Parliamentary Liaison Officer for the Ministry.

 

3.3 Tshwane University of Technology representation

 

The TUT was represented by Prof E Tyobeka, Vice-Chancellor; Prof L van Staden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Teaching, Learning and Technology; Prof S Molefe Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Institutional Planning and Operations; Dr P Nevhutalu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation and Partnership; Ms G Mashabela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Finance and Business Development; Mr N Stofberg, Registrar; Dr K Ndlovu, Strategic Advisor and Mr F Phooko, President of the Student Representative Council.

 

3.4 University of the Free State (UFS)

 

The UFS was represented by Prof J Jansen, Rector; Prof R Moraka, Vice-Rector of External Relations; Prof T Verschoor, Acting Senior Vice-Rector; Prof D Viljoen, Vice-Rector of Operatons; Prof I Steyn, Registrar; Prof J Henning, Dean of the Faculty of Law; Prof M Corus, Dean of the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences; Prof N Heideman, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Prof D Francis, Dean of the Faculty of Education; Prof D Tolmie Dean of the Faculty of Theology; Mr R Buys, Dean of Student Affairs; Dr C Makhetha, Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor; Ms H Lombard, Director of Library and Information Services; Mr F Nkoana, Director of Student Academic Services; Ms A Lombard, Mr J Grobelaar, Chairperson of UVPERSU; Chief Executive Officer of UVPERSU; Mr Q Koetaan, Director of Housing and Residence Affairs; Dr J Strydom, Director of Housing and Residence Affairs; Prof C Tolmie, Director of Information and Communication Technology Services; Ms L Loade, Acting Director of Strategic Communication; Mr F Marais, Director of the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development; Prof R Britz, Programme Planning; Ms S Welman, Secretary of NEHAWU; Mr M Masitha, President of the Student Representative Council; Mr B Bosch, Member of the Student Representative Council; Mr T Letsoaru, Vice-President of the Student Representative Council; and Ms G Sigwil, Ladies Internal Liaison Student Representative Council.

 

3.5 Other guests

 

Other guests who were present at the meetings included Dr R Patel, Chief Executive Officer of MERSETA; Mr P Naicker, Chief Executive Officer of CTFLSETA; Mr J Madiba, Chief Executive Officer of AgriSETA and Ms B Gwagwa; Project Manager KZN Office of the Premier.

 

4. Presentations on the National Skills Fund (NSF)

 

4.1 Overview of the NSF

 

Mr H Mashabane, Acting Chief Director of Skills Development, led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The NSF was established under the Skills Development Act of 1998. The NSF is responsible for funding projects identified in the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) as national priorities. The Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training is the accounting authority of the fund.
• The NSF projects a total budget of R2 billion for the current financial year. The key programmes of the NSF include the Social Development Initiatives and Critical Skills Support which have been allocated 62% of the total budget for the past five years.
• The key challenges of the NSF include, inter alia, improving institutional mechanisms and capacity, creating a stronger link with the department and addressing under-disbursement of funds.

 

4.2 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Skills Development Interventions

 

The Acting Chief Director of Skills Development drew attention to the following key issues regarding the Skills Development interventions in KZN:

 

• A total budget of R97 million was allocated to KwaZulu-Natal, targeting approximately 17,520 learners. Interventions were directed towards the development of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), learnerships, apprenticeships, and Extended Public Works Projects (EPWP).
• Approximately R92 million (98.4%) of the total budget of R97 million has been spent. The project is due for completion in June 2011. The ABET project was allocated R72 million, and it reached the most remote areas and empowered the more marginalised sector in the province.
• Learners who completed the ABET programme received recognised qualifications and some of these have been absorbed by the labour market.
• Facilitators of the project were drawn from local communities and literacy rates have increased. Other initiatives include the Social Development Funding window, critical skills support through SETA projects and informal sector support.

 

5. Presentations on the SETAs

 

5.1 The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sectoral Education and Training Authority involvement in KwaZulu-Natal

 

Dr R Patel, Chief Executive Officer of MERSETA; led the presentation. The presentation drew attention to the following key issues.

 

• MERSETA facilitates skills development for metal and engineering, auto manufacturing, motor retail and component manufacturing, tyre manufacturing and plastic industries. The five sub-sectors of MERSETA comprise 44000 companies with a workforce of 600 000.
• MERSETA is currently involved in Institutions of Sectoral or Occupational Excellence (ISOE) for Tool, Jig and Die Making initiative. The Coastal KZN FET has been accredited as an ISOE for this initiative for the past 3 years. In Pietermaritzburg 36 learners were trained at NQF level 2 Mechanical Engineering Tool-making.  Through MERSETA’s Small Medium Enterprise Project, the SME’s are supported through voucher systems. Over the last 2 financial years MERSETA has disbursed Mandatory Grants of R38, 262,387 in 2009 and R30, 464,982 in 2010 to its companies in the province. Discretionary Grants of R163, 959,178 have been committed to companies in the province. The Youth Project funded for educational projects in the province for unemployed youth is valued at R13 million.
• Other areas of current involvement in the province include the Training Lay-Off Scheme, the Disabled Project and Non-Government and Community Based Organisations (NGOs/CBOs).

 

5.2 The Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather Sectoral Education and Training Authority involvement in KwaZulu-Natal

 

Mr P Naicker, Chief Executive Officer, CTFL SETA, led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following critical issues:

 

• The CTFL SETA has approximately 1230 eligible member companies of which 33% operate in the KZN province.
• The CTFL SETA supports the CTFL Centre of Excellence at Durban University of Technology (DUT) by providing bursary support to Textile and Clothing Technology students studying at DUT.
• It also supports Industry Training Unit  operating from DUT via projects funded from discretionary funding such as Technical Training for clothing firms and New Venture Creation training and monitoring programme.
• Support is also given to firms operating in the province through a discretionary grant funding window and Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) support to 23 accredited workplace providers.

 

5.3 The Agriculture Sectoral Education and Training Authority involvement in KwaZulu-Natal

 

Mr J Madiba, Chief Executive Officer, AgriSETA led the presentation, which highlighted the following critical issues:

 

• AgriSETA deals with approximately 35000 commercial enterprises and 450 000 under-resourced enterprises with a total of 4100 levy payers. The total income of the SETA is R142.6 million with a discretionary fund of R65 million. The agricultural sector contributes 25% to change rate in Growth Domestic Product (GDP).
• Over the past 3 years, agriSETA invested R38 million discretionary funds and R32 million mandatory grants in KZN and trained in excess of 2000 beneficiaries (employed or unemployed).  The SETA delivers its programmes through 41 accredited private training providers in KZN, 4 FET colleges active in agricultural skills development, and 2 agricultural colleges.
• The major challenges of the SETA is the fact that the levy-grant system is not ideal for economies or sectors dominated by small and informal sectors, climate change,  and the land reform process.

 

6. Presentations on the University of Zululand

 

6.1 The Senate Report of the University of Zululand

 

Prof F Mazibuko, Vice-Chancellor; University of Zululand led the presentation proceedings. The presentation highlighted the following critical issues.

 

• The University of Zululand is one of six comprehensive universities in South Africa and is strategically situated in the Durban-Richards Bay Corridor. Like all South African universities, the University of Zululand is expected to have an ongoing deliberate transformation agenda that examines practices and philosophies that underpin its core business, intellectual projects and other scholarly activities. Its vision and mission is to be a leading rural-based university and a comprehensive university providing quality education.
• The Vice-Chancellor of the university was appointed on 01 February 2010. On her arrival at the university, she discovered that the university did not have a permanent Student Representative Council (SRC), a matter of serious concern. An SRC Caretaking Team consisting of two staff members was appointed as an administrator of the SRC.  Political tensions are said to be the major contributor to the collapse of the SRC at the university. Management of the university has met with students and discussed the issue resulting in the setting of a possible date for the next SRC elections.

 

Specific Actions

 

·         Registration practices and academic implications: The registration process, staffing and technologies of the university require an overhaul.

·         Safety and security: The university security portfolio will be transferred from the office of the Registrar and all security units will be unified and required to report to the office of the Vice-Chancellor. A list of all the university suppliers of services and materials will be drawn up and scrutinised.

·         Installation of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor: The installation of the new Vice-Chancellor will take place on Friday 30 April 2010 and Mr S Ndebele (Minister of Transport) confirmed his availability.

·         Student Residences: Residences will be secured from intrusions from people coming from outside or invading from inside and immediate action will be taken to restore what is physically damaged in the residences. A modern and decent facility will be part of the student centre.

 

6.2 Presentation on Transformation Initiative (From Human Resources to Human Capital perspective)

 

Dr M Mokoele, Director Human Capital, led the presentation proceedings. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The impact of globalisation has led to a decline in quality qualified academic staff, in particular women. The University of Zululand has lost a number of qualified young academic staff who were attracted by better offers in the private sector.
• The university needs to place emphasis on the retention of academic staff and to review both academic and non academic structures concurrently. Human Capital Management (HCM) must be strategic in transforming the university to access funding and achieve its mission. It also needs to focus on staff training and development, including research orientation.
• Essentially, the university needs to reposition itself by incorporating good governance, capitalising on human capital and fostering collaborations with other institutions.
• Current HCM projects: In 2007, the university committed itself to job evaluation and job description writing which was completed in 2009. Remuneration alignment and performance management are currently being implemented. A review of strategic and action plans is scheduled for May 2010.

 

6.3 Presentation on Admission Policy and Enrolment Planning

 

Mr J Doeseb, Acting Registrar, led the presentation proceedings. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The university, like any other comprehensive university still offers higher certificates, bachelor degrees, and national diplomas. The university uses the National Senior Certificate (NSC) as a benchmark for admitting students to various courses. Students without Matric endorsement are accepted for national diplomas and, those with an endorsement are admitted for bachelor’s degree programmes.
• Like the majority of other universities in the country, UZ has experienced a huge demand for admission in the education and humanities programmes. The introduction of certificate and diploma programmes as well as the introduction of foundation programmes in science, engineering and technology and business management will provide increased access to scarce skills areas.
• The university currently enrolls 12500 students of which 11005 are undergraduates and 1495 are postgraduates. The majority of these students 5350 (41%) are enrolled in the humanities, and 4000 (40%) in education. African students constitute the majority of students with 12299 currently enrolled, followed by Indians who total 114 and other races. The large proportion of black students represents the geographical location of the university which is surrounded by local rural areas. Most of the students in the university are drawn from nearby schools.

 

7. Department of Higher Education and Training

 

Tour of the department

 

The Director, Mr H Ramapheka, led the tour of the department. The following issues were observed during the tour:

 

• The committee was informed that the Sol Plaatjie Building, Head Office of the department, was a privately owned property and the Department of Public Works did not reserve any rights to the building. Construction work and building maintenance were solely handled by the department.
• The Department of Basic Education which was previously sharing the building with the department, had occupied another nearby building.  At the time of the tour, the committee discovered that documents and other furniture items belonging to the Department of Basic Education were being removed to the nearby building. Though the building was quite old, its overall condition was conducive as a workspace.

8. Tshwane University of Technology

 

8.1 Presentation on Academic Restructuring at TUT

 

Prof E Tyobeka, Vice-Chancellor led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The presentation began by reflecting on the state of the three former technikons that merged to form TUT, namely, Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG), Technikon North West (TNW) and Technikon Pretoria (TP). Graduation rates, number of post graduates, and level of research output were below national average at both the TNG and TNW prior to the merger.
• The motivation for the merger of TNG, TNW and TP was based on the premise that the new institution would overcome the apartheid induced legacy of division between historically white and historically black institutions and ensure effective and efficient utilisation of resources through effective planning processes.
• The relocation of faculties, which still in progress, has been accompanied by infrastructural improvements where the faculties are being accommodated. Duplication of programmes has been eliminated.
• Challenges still remaining include: the finalisation in the relocation of faculties, resources for relocation support services and attention to issues of staff relocation.

 

8.2 Presentation on merging and consolidating research at TUT

 

Dr P Nevhutalu, Deputy-Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation and Planning, led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• At the time of the merger in 2003, the subsidies research outputs of the three independent institutions were as follows: TP had total subsidies research output of 44.48% compared to 4.17% in TNG and 7.97% in TNW. Before the merger in 2002, TP had a total number of 37501 postgraduates as compared to 11056 in TNG and 5077 in TNW. The percentage of staff with doctoral qualification was 13% in TP as compared to 2% in both the TNG and TNW.
• The number of staff with postgraduate qualifications has improved significantly after the merger.  In 2008, the total number of staff with postgraduate qualification was 422 as compared to 262 in 2004. TUT has the highest number of rated researchers (28 in 2008) than any other university of technology in the country.
• TUT has a number of spectacular innovations that include, but not are not limited to, the electronic bicycle (A HI FAMBENI), power management systems and smart vehicle harness. The current challenges in research and innovation include insufficient funding, research space and equipment, research management capacity and recruitment of personnel with doctoral degrees.

 

8.3 Pre and post merger undergraduate success rate at TUT

 

Prof L van Staden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Learning and Technology, led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The TUT consists of seven faculties and 56 departments in three provinces (Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga). The enrolment target of the institution is 56 000 students with 436 academic programmes, 1000 permanent academic posts and R700 million academic budget.
• The three former institutions differed widely in their philosophy and approach to academic development.  The pre-merger period was characterised by fragmentation, and a lack of common vision and framework for academic development.
• The undergraduate success rate increased with 7.32% since 2003 and surpassed the department’s target set for TUT by 2010 with 2% in 2008. Its undergraduate headcount enrolment increased with 4647 since 2003.

 

8.4 Presentation on infrastructure support for the merger process

 

Prof S Molefe Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Institutional Planning and Operations led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The reasons for the merger were constituted by a number of government objectives which included, amongst others,the transformation of the higher education landscape to a single but differentiated system, ensuring better access, the elimination of duplication of academic programmes and the opportunity to improve service delivery and overall quality.
• TUT developed an Institutional Operating Plan (IOP) to give effect to the merger. The merger initially cost R700 million. Only R302 million was provided by the department to fund 33 infrastructural projects in order to effect relocation. 20 projects in total are completed, seven are under construction and six are under the tender process. The outstanding 13 projects will be completed by December 2010.
• The infrastructure projects funding summary includes R48 million for Ga-Rankuwa campus, R135 million for Soshanguve campus, R36 million for Pretoria campus and R32 million for other projects.

 

8.5 Presentation on accommodation, residence life and catering

 

Ms G Mashabela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Finance and Business Development led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• TUT consists of 30 student residences in 272 buildings with a population of 10382 students. There is an Institutional Residence Committee (IRC) which is made up of chairpersons of the campuses, All Residence Committees (ARC’s) and Secretaries as well as ARLC staff members.
• Residential committee’s are responsible for emergencies, security, residence life and sporting activities. ALRC is responsible for leadership training, life skills development, community service, academic support for residence students.
• The Soshanguve and Garankuwa campus residences at the time of the merger were found in the following state: up to four students resided in one room, there was no sufficient furniture in student rooms, no security and access control, no student social life and poor discipline.
• Transformation achievements in residences include the integration of students through placement policy, and an improvement of the management of residences. Students are placed per faculty and are only guaranteed accommodation if they achieve at least 50% pass rate.
• TUT strives to provide sport facilities of a high standard at all campuses. This is achieved through a budget allocation as well as assistance from the LOTTO fund.
• Four years after the merger, the Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa residences have significantly improved with rooms fully equipped with furniture and fluorescent lights.

 

8.6 Presentation by the Central Student Representative Council (CSRC)

 

Mr F Phooko, President of the CSRC led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• Enrolment planning: The main challenge for students with regards to the enrolment planning of TUT is that it changes constantly. Bureaucracy during the registration period affects students negatively. Most students coming from other provinces are delayed since their applications are processed and approved at the main campus in Pretoria. No financial support or accommodation is provided to these students while they wait to be admitted to the institution.
• Residences: The Ga-Rankuwa and Soshanguve residences are still operating without an adequate infrastructure. The institution has only renovated and painted the residences when they should rather have constructed new buildings. Facilities at the residences are still a cause of concern for students and little has been done to address this issue. Residences in satellite campuses are poorly maintained and some students are not accommodated.
• Constitution of the SRC: There is a notion that the management of the institution undermines the Constitution of the SRC. The SRC is seldom consulted on critical decisions of the institution. The main challenge is that there is currently no SRC structure at the Soshanguve campus which affects the representation of the students needs to management. No date was set for the election of a new SRC for this campus.
• National Student Financial Aid (NSFAS): Students currently enrolled for the Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degrees are not assisted with NSFAS funding. This has contributed to a high drop out rate of economically challenged students enrolled for this degree and there were no plans to address this issue.
• Merger: The merger process has disadvantaged the historically disadvantaged merged institutions. As a result, enrolments have been capped significantly at the Soshanguve campus. The aspirations of the merger were positive. However, the SRC showed concern that those with the mandate to fully implement the merger were not effectively carrying out the task.

 

9. University of the Free State

 

9.1 Presentation on state of UFS

 

Prof J Jansen, Rector of the UFS, led the presentation, which highlighted the following.

 

• The UFS has approximately 30000 enrolled students for the 2010 academic year with 60% of the majority being black students, 5.4% Coloureds, 0.5% Indians and 34% Whites. The institution attracts a large number of students from nearby provinces and is committed to the developmental goals of transformation to move forward.
• At the time of his arrival (Prof Jansen, Rector), there was a dent on the image of the institution. The institutional culture was not conducive to certain races within the institution. Racial disintegration tensions were evident among the students in the campus and this was a serious concern for the Rector. The Reitz incident overshadowed the image of the institution even nationally.
• During the period of 10 months upon the appointment of the new Rector, significant progress has been achieved in restoring the image of the institution. Students were divided in 50-50 ratio in residences to promote racial integration. Approximately 16 residences have completed this phase and four are still in progress. An enormous amount of work in integrating students has been achieved.
• In terms of knowledge, the Rector has proposed a curriculum review of the institution to Senate to allow students to study core knowledge including on how to be human and reflect on the meaning of integration. There is also a proposal for the institution to conduct a study on race in higher education.
• The institution has a challenge of a low throughput rate and already the issue is being addressed through extensive work to change its teaching model and admission criteria to improve success rates.
• The institution is currently working with disadvantaged high schools in the province to encourage first generation students to succeed and reach higher education.
• In a bid to bring about greater staff equity and to position the institution among the leading universities in the continent, the UFS, through the Vice Chancellor’s initiative, has set aside funds to recruit 25 of the most promising young scholars (new PhDs students) for intensive training in becoming the next generation of UFS professors.
•  The institution has submitted its transformation report to the department. The Rector promised the committee that if the situation of the institution does not change, he will take responsibility for its failure.

 

9.2 Presentation on access with success

 

Mrs M Wilson-Strydom led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• The UFS has a long history of commitment to the goal of increasing participation and providing alternative access routes to counteract the impacts of low quality schooling. The challenge of student under-preparedness for university level is growing at the UFS specifically and nationally.
• The UFS currently offers four different access routes to the university, namely, a 3-year mainstream undergraduate programme, a 4-year extended degree programme, a University Preparation Programme (UPP) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Since 1993, 4159 students enrolled at the UFS after the UPP year. Since 1996, 1111 degrees have been awarded at the UFS. The UPP pass rate at the end of 2009 following specific focus on student support was 74%.
• The UFS has four main projects / programmes to enhance student success. These are: student engagement research, a new academic tutorial programme, student orientation and academic advising.

 

9.3 Presentation by the Student Representative Council (SRC)

 

Mr M Masitha, President of the SRC led the presentation. The presentation highlighted the following:

 

• Social Integration: Black and white students are still racially disintegrated in residences. The new placement policy has not worked well in addressing this challenge. White students are resisting integration with the predominantly black students’ residences. The 50-50 placement ratio has failed to integrate students to share the same rooms. Black students are still sharing rooms with their counterparts though there are white students living in the same block. Only 30% integration has been achieved in residences.
• Employment Equity: The UFS has a majority of white males through-out its academic ranks. Promotion has been predominantly based on racial status rather than academic capabilities and work performance. There is currently no move to employ black academic staff and this affects students negatively.
• Security: Security and access control of the campus, especially in residences is not adequately managed. Lighting is a serious challenge on campus and this has led to an increase in the rate of thefts in residences. Cameras situated around the campus are not sufficiently monitored and evaluated.
• Deregistration of Students: Some students were registered on condition that they settle their accounts in April 2010. This is unacceptable as the majority of these students are economically challenged. Approximately 1500 students have been deregistered due to debt and the SRC appealed to the management to extend the date until negotiations are completed.
• Learning: The UFS uses a parallel medium of instruction for learning. This divides the students according to their language of tuition. Black students are often disadvantaged as their classes continue until evening due to lack of capacity in English classes. There is no shuttle services provided for students living off campus and this leads to non-attendance of classes.

10. Discussion

 

10.1 Manufacturing Engineering and Related services SETA, Agriculture SETA and Clothing Textile Footwear Leather SETA

 

• The committee remained extremely concerned with the level of commitment of AGRISETA and CTFLSETA towards skills development in KwaZulu-Natal. One of the reasons provided by the CTFLSETA was that the clothing and textile industry was experiencing a downward trend and most of the industries in the sector were closing down. AGRISETA indicated that farm workers required Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) just to be able to count money only.
• A concern was raised with the contribution of the SETAs in training per learner. It was noted that most manufacturing industries were not keen in training learners due to the high costs involved in training of artisans. The department was requested to intervene in ensuring that more funding is allocated in the training of learners.
• It was noted that the country was faced with the shortage of engineers and by 2020 research shows that there will be insufficient engineers in the country. A proposal was made that Technical High Schools should be fully supported to increase their output in scarce skills. MERSETA was requested to explain its plans to address the shortage of scarce skills.
• It emerged that the three SETAs adequately supported centre’s of excellence rather than emerging small medium enterprise. The committee was concerned that well established enterprises were benefiting from the SETAs while emerging service providers were being excluded.
• It was noted that some service providers were not submitting their workplace skills plan annually to the SETAs. This often leads to less accountability to the discretionary grants allocated to service providers. The committee requested a report from the three SETAs on the issue.
• It was highlighted that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done by SETAs in addressing the challenge of skills development. Insufficient funding is said to be the main backlog that hampers progress in skills development. The department is negotiating with the SETAs to reach a specific target annually in line with government priorities. It was noted that well established companies were benefiting from mandatory grants and the department was in a process of reviewing the allowances in line with the SETAs mandates.
• The level of involvement in the training of artisans is indeed limited due to lack of funding. The training of artisans in some countries may cost up to R300 000 per year. Legislatively, the SETAs pay only 20% discretionary grants. The challenge is the need for government to look at international trends and become more involved in skills development since the training of artisans is very costly.
• It is not possible to place all learners who participated in various programmes of the SETAs due to the lack of capacity in industry. Emerging service providers are supported by the SETAs. However, great emphasis is placed on the centre’s of excellence due to their capacity.

 

10.2 Meeting with the University of Zululand

 

• The committee was of the view that leadership of the university was supposed to guide the process of the SRC elections to encourage non violence. A concern was raised that there was no SRC in the university and no clear indication of the proposed date for new SRC elections. The committee requested a copy of the SRC’s constitution for further scrutiny.
• The committee commended the work of the interim administrators who were taking care of students needs. The university was requested to explain the way forward on the matter and to include a timeframe of activities. The committee was concerned that as much as the university agreed to meet with the committee, there was no effort to include students as part of the meeting proceedings.
• It emerged that there was a notion of affiliating to past events which transpired at the university. The committee highlighted that history cannot legitimate what happens at the university. A concern was raised that there were no success stories about the university available to the public. Credibility of qualifications offered by the university were also a cause of concern. There were rumours that examination papers of the university were being marked off site. The university was requested to explain the situation in this regard.
• The committee commended the Rector’s approach in dealing with the challenges of the university and supported the implementation of the one year turn-around strategy.
• It emerged that the Information Technology Communication (ITC) system was of serious concern and contributed to the mismanagement of the registration and procurement process. The university was requested to explain its plans to address this challenge.
• It emerged that the university introduced a course known as a Bachelor of Correctional Studies in 2002. This later backfired on the university as many students who graduated in this course were not finding employment. The committee was interested to know whether there was proper research conducted before offering the degree and whether it was accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
• The committee remained extremely concerned that the reason given for little progress in transformation among academic staff (predominantly black) was that the university was situated in a rural area. The committee was of the opinion that it was the responsibility of the university to make it attractive to accommodate other races amongst the academic staff.
• The university was faced with the challenge of historical political tension that existed in the surroundings of the university. This often influenced the SRC elections as the two main student parties, namely, the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the South African Democratic Students Movement (SADESMO) were often fighting consistently before the SRC elections. The process of the previous elections was not free and fair as the results were adjusted to create a victory for a particular party. The university has set up clear measures to ensure that the next elections will not be mismanaged and the date would be confirmed in due course.
• The university is in the process of overhauling its ITC systems because most of the registration challenges are caused by outdated systems. The security service was located in the office of the former Registrar and they were not investigating serious cases such as loss of data. This office has since been moved to the office of the Rector to minimise potential manipulation.

 

10.3 Meeting with the department

 

• The committee remained extremely concerned with the under-spending of the NSF. The misalignment between the fund and the provinces was said to be the major contributor to under-spending. The fact that there was no sufficient monitoring and evaluation by the NSF to provinces concerned the committee.
• It was noted that the NSF is not a banking scheme and the manner in which funds are disbursed to provinces required urgent review. It was highlighted that the NSF is supposed to be an arm to develop and grow skills throughout the provinces. The committee further requested to know as to why certain provinces were not allocated funds.
• It was highlighted that the current status of the NSF was of serious concern. The committee was concerned with the fact that the department had promised to intervene urgently in the challenges of the NSF and thus far little has been achieved in addressing its challenges. As a result, this delay has negative implications down the line. The committee requested an explanation on rumours that the NSF ceased to disburse funds in 2009.
• The committee requested a breakdown of the use of the fund provincially and to include objectives and key outputs of the funded projects. The current mandate of the NSF to disburse funds to provinces without assisting in developing a provincial skills programme needed urgent review.
• The department acknowledged the challenges of the NSF and promised to fast-track the process of appointing the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  A team to administer the operation of the fund would be appointed in due course. The department agreed that the entire system of the NSF would be reviewed and a conclusion of the challenge of provincial capacity was a main priority.
• It was noted that certain provinces delayed in drafting their provincial skills plan and as a result the NSF is unable to allocate funds without specified projects. The NSF had not stopped disbursing funds to provinces. However, there was a decrease in its activities.

 

10.4 Meeting with TUT

 

• The committee commended the success rate, research initiatives, strong focus on student life, staff compliment and progress of the TUT. The institution was requested to explain the reasons for the protests during its registration period as well as the current status of the matter.
• The TUT was requested to explain challenges with regards to the moving of faculties to other campuses and the process of the merger.
• The student leadership body was requested to submit a written report on the challenges of students.
• It was noted that the process of the merger was fairly complex and the model adopted by the TUT had brought people together. The technical and mechanical aspect of the merger has been completed. The issue of the salary dispute was resolved by the institution.

 

10.5 Meeting with the UFS

 

• The committee was concerned with the low throughput rate of the university and requested an explanation for it.
• It was observed that the university implemented the parallel medium of instruction. A concern was raised regarding the non- Afrikaaans speaking students within the university and that this could have a negative impact on their academic performance. The committee requested clarity on the impact of the language policy on student access and success.
• The committee commended the university for the Undergraduate Preparedness Programme (UPP).  Clarity was requested on the impact of the programme with regards to student support and whether it was efficient enough in preparing students for higher education.
•  The committee commended the 50-50 ratio project of the university in student residences as a positive step towards transformation. It was highlighted though that this should be prioritised by the university and the process of the remaining six untransformed residences process should be fast-tracked.
• It was noted that the Rector of the university was extremely committed in turning around the institutional culture of the university. This is supported by his strong leadership skills in unifying different races of the university and his approach towards transforming the student residences.
• The committee requested a reflection on the new emerging culture of the university including progress in new policies dedicated to transforming the university. The university was further requested to explain the relationship between staff members who were victims of the Reitz incident and management and, whether there were any further support mechanisms provided to them.
• A concern was raised regarding the employment equity of the university. Though there were drastic measures in place to implement transformation, at top management level of academic staff white males were in an overwhelming majority. The committee enquired whether the university supported the approach of change at top management level.
• The university acknowledged that its teaching and learning model is not adequate and it might be a contributing factor to its poor throughput rate. The admission requirement of the university is not stringent and as a result many average students had been admitted and some had not managed to maintain a higher standard of education.
• The language policy of the university racially disintegrates students. This has disadvantages as students are not able to communicate and assist one another with their academic work.
• It was noted that the litigation process regarding the Reitz incident was still proceeding and the victims of the incident have been removed from working at the residences. Regular meetings between victims and management have been conducted with the objective of giving support and as a result they have integrated well into the university. The university was working close with the Human Rights Commission in arranging compensation for the victims.

 

11. Findings

 

11.1 The University of Zululand

 

• The institution was without an SRC due to political tension between the two main student organizations (SASCO and SADESMO) and the process of the new elections was not yet finalized. Two staff officials were appointed as SRC administrators.
• Politics among student leadership bodies were taken personally to an extent whereby students engaged in violent acts resulting in personal injuries or damage to property.
• The information communication technology system of the university was outdated and loss of data was quite frequent, often leading to corruption and mismanagement of important files.
• There were certain academic staff members who were being promoted without merit and most of the staff members were employed on a contract basis. Literally, there was disjuncture and no effective guidelines in the employment system of the university.
• The procurement of external service providers was not transparent and this led to less accountability for services rendered to the university.

 

11.2 Department of Higher Education and Training

 

• There is a serious misalignment between national implementation of the NSF with the provincial skills forum and as a result millions of rands meant to address the challenge of skills development in provinces were being returned to the NSF.
• The head office of the department was being renovated to accommodate staff members from the Department of Labour dealing with skills development.
• The department has not yet succeeded to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer for the NSF and the agreement with the provincial skills forum has not yet been concluded due to the recent split of the department.
• There is a serious challenge of capacity to deliver within the NSF and the entire system of the NSF would require an urgent review to address the challenge of under-spending.

 

11.3 Tshwane University of Technology

 

• The institution is the largest university of technology in the country and it is currently making progress in terms of research and innovation.
• There was no SRC in the Soshanguve Campus and most of the infrastructure backlogs were in that campus since it was a historically disadvantaged institution prior to the merger.
• There is a strong focus on development of student life in residences and this programme is well managed and can be a model for other institutions.
• The process of the merger though very complex was managed in a very efficient way and the model adopted brought people from different backgrounds together.

 

 

11.4 University of the Free State

 

• The university has a challenge of a very low throughput rate and one of the major reasons given was that the university’s teaching model was ineffective.
• The litigation process of the four Reitz students was still in court and no final verdict on their fate had been concluded. The employees who were victims of the incident were removed from working in the residence and they have integrated well with the university. A process is currently in place to arrange their compensation.
• The 50-50 placement ratio in residences has not yet addressed the challenge of racial disintegration between black and white students in residences. White students are still resistant in migrating to predominantly black residences. The completion of this process is expected to be concluded at the end of the year.
• The demographics of the university do not reflect equal represention among academic staff. White males are in the majority of the academic staff up to the senior level.
• The university implements the parallel medium of instruction. This automatically divides students and they are unable to share common knowledge regarding their academic work.

 

12. Summary

 

The three day oversight visit to the UZ, DHET, TUT, and UFS was very fruitful and provided sufficient insight into some of the underlying challenges that affect higher education institutions and the skills development sector. It was evident throughout the visits that most HEI’s faced common challenges related to transformation, throughput rate, student accommodation and financial assistance to needy students. On the other hand, the skills development sector was lagging behind in terms of reaching its millennium goals and targets by 2020 and this affects the masses negatively. In theory, there are various measures in place to implement government’s objectives to reduce illiteracy and half unemployment by 2014. However, the critical challenge is the implementation of these policies due to bureaucratic challenges within the three spheres of government. A huge amount of investment has been made in skills development over the past 16 years of the new democracy. However, to date, little has been achieved with the resources at hand. The involvement of the SETAs has achieved little in addressing the shortage of skills and illiteracy in the country. One of the common challenges observed during the oversight visit is that, more funds were needed to effectively address the challenge of the skills sector.

 

There has been a significant change in the higher education landscape for the country to be proud of. Improved participation rates and better access to young black students is a major achievement of higher education in the last 16 years. However, in general, transformation in the sector has been limited. This has been observed by the committee through its engagement with various HEI’s even the ones visited during this oversight visit. The common excuse that has been highlighted to the committee is that black academics were fleeing the sector due to its environment and its remuneration challenges. One of the main findings during the oversight was that graduation rates were still skewed among black and coloured students and this concerned the committee as there was little achieved to addressing this challenge at both the level of HEI’s and the department. The merger process has not yet been measurable as many merged institutions were still finding their identity and common objectives. Political tensions among student leadership bodies have been a significant challenge among the historically disadvantaged institutions mainly due to the violation of the SRCs’ constitutions and a lack of adequate leadership from the management of the institutions during the SRC election periods.

 

The committee has however, promised to table recommendations made during the oversight visit in the National Assembly for debate and further consideration. It further promised follow-up visits in future and comprehensive interaction through communication with the institutions to monitor progress and challenges thereof.

 

13. Recommendations

 

The following formed part of the key recommendations:

 

13.1 The University of Zululand

 

• The leadership of the University of Zululand should urgently finalise the proposed date of the SRC elections and a conflict resolution structure or mechanism should be put in place to ensure free and fair elections.
• The overhauling of the university’s information communication technology systems should be prioritised with the objective of reducing mismanagement of valuable data.
• The new Vice-Chancellor of the university should be supported by the members of the executive management in her turn around strategy for the university.

 

13.2 The NSF

 

• The appointment of the CEO for the NSF should be urgently concluded and the review of the NSF entire system would be very instrumental in reducing the challenge of under-spending.
• The department should consider addressing the capacity constraints within the NSF so as to assist delivering the key output of the fund.
• The National Skills Authority (NSA) should play an active role in ensuring that the NSF is a strong arm of delivery in skills development. The current surplus of 2.7 billion of the NSF should be transferred for other deserving under funded critical programmes such as ABET and the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

 

13.3 Tshwane University of Technology

 

• The leadership of TUT should urgently address the lack of SRC structures at the Soshanguve Campus and other relevant challenges such as accommodation on the campus.
• The process of the merger should be urgently concluded to allow efficiency and efficacy at the institution.
• TUT should apply for more funding from NSFAS to assist more needy students, especially from satellite campuses and to minimise further violent protest during registration period.

 

 

 

13.4 University of the Free State

 

• Transformation in the UFS should be a major priority of all stakeholders involved in the university and especially among the student population.
• The Committee welcomes and supports the UFS’s proposed plan to review its teaching model, as this is of critical importance in achieving the objective of increasing the institution’s low throughput rate. The university should, in particular, consider pursuing new teaching and learning models that accommodate a larger and more diverse student population.    
• Appointments of black lecturers should be prioritised to strengthen support for first generation students and to reflect on the demographics of the university where the majority are black students. To this end, the Committee commends the initiative of the Vice Chancellor to recruit 25 promising young scholars for intensive training as part of a drive to ensure equitable access and progression in the academy for previously disenfranchised groups.
• The language policy of the university needs to be reviewed as it is a critical element in the process of transformation.

Report to be considered.