The government will pump R3,1-billion into the restructuring of higher education and R1,3-billion of this will be used to bail out universities and technikons in financial trouble, Education Minister Kader Asmal said on Monday.
He was briefing reporters in Pretoria about the final plan for restructuring as approved by Cabinet last week.
In terms of the plan, the University of Transkei (Unitra) has been given a new lease on life. It would now form part of a comprehensive institution, also including Border and Eastern Cape technikons, offering both university and technikon-type courses.
In terms of the original restructuring plan, Unitra would have effectively disappeared.
Another change was that the University of Venda would no longer form part of a merger with the University of the North and the Medical University of SA as originally envisaged. – Sapa