Work is on track at Sol Plaatje University
25 March 2015
Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley is on track for its student intake in 2016.
The deputy minister of higher education and training, Mduduzi Manana, visited the
construction site in the Northern Cape capital on 24 March, where four cranes were
keeping the building programme on track. Manana said he was satisfied with
progress made on infrastructure.
"The briefing I received this morning and the visit to the construction site gives me
tremendous confidence that all the deadlines for ensuring the successful delivery of
the infrastructure necessary to accommodate the 2016 student intake will be met,"
he said.
"I have witnessed the evidence of the close co-operation between the different
spheres of government. The Sol Plaatje Municipality has been single-minded in its
determination to support the development of the university by expediting the
required approval processes and supporting the social and economic
development
aspects of the project, among others."
Work undertaken to deliver the infrastructure for this year's student intake of 370
had been of a high quality.
The university's central campus is part of this phase of construction. It will
encompass completing six of the envisaged eight multi-storey buildings at an
estimated construction cost of over R900-million. The buildings will include
laboratories, lecture auditoriums and teaching facilities, academic offices, libraries,
residences and student facilities.
In total, the construction of more than 50 000 square metres of new buildings will
accommodate the planned 2016 and 2017 student numbers. Together with the
existing 2014 and 2015 provision, on campus residences will accommodate about
700 students for the 2016 academic year.
Manana acknowledged the efforts being made to ensure that the province benefited
from the investment in the university infrastructure. Construction
procurement
requires the main contractors to use local labour, suppliers and sub-contractors;
and to focus on broad-based black economic empowerment and skills development.
The deputy minister was also pleased with the academic performance of the
university in its first year of its existence. He emphasised that in addition to high
quality academic teaching and sound governance, it was necessary to have in place
the infrastructure to sustain the level of academic performance.
Of the students registered in 2014, 80% passed all their first-year courses with an
average course pass rate of 87%.
Manana also congratulated Professor Yunus Ballim on his appointment as the vice-
chancellor. "I wish you well in laying the foundations for a university that will
provide innovative and high quality academic programmes."
Sol Plaatje University is one of three universities the government is building. The
others are the University of Mpumalanga and the
Sefako Makgatho Health and Allied
Sciences University, which is a result of the unbundling of Medunsa from the
University of Limpopo.
Higher Education and Training spokesperson Sibusiso Mlangeni said the new
universities would go a long way towards increasing access to post-school education
and training. They will also contribute to the National Development Plan goal of
increasing higher education enrolments by 2030.
Source: SAnews.gov
The Kimberley skyline, over the Big Hole. (Image: Wikimedia Commons: NJR ZA)
