Fort Hare survives, the University of the Transkei (Unitra) goes, and — in a surprise move — Rand Afrikaans University will merge with Technikon Witwatersrand. But “no institution will be left untouched”, said Minister of Education Kader Asmal on Thursday, announcing the Cabinet’s approval this week of massive, far-reaching measures to transform the country’s higher education system.
The Cabinet has endorsed the vast majority of controversial recommendations made in January by the ministerially appointed National Working Group (NWG). Institutional mergers and academic programme rationalisation and collaboration are the chief tools that will reduce the current 36 institutions to 21.
Tertiary education will in future have 11 universities (there are currently 21), six technikons (currently 15) and four “comprehensive institutions”. The latter are “a new institutional and organi- sational form”, Asmal announced. Three will be created via mergers between universities and technikons; and one via the refocusing of the University of Zululand to offer “technikon-type programmes as well as a limited number of relevant university-type programmes”, Asmal said.
The Cabinet endorsement represents a considerable political triumph for Asmal. The only substantial backdown from the NWG recommendations is on the University of Fort Hare, which the NWG proposed be merged with Rhodes University. But Asmal has stuck to his guns on Unitra: only its medical school will survive, incorporated by Fort Hare.
Substantial opposition to the NWG’s proposals has come from influential bodies such as The Association of Historically Disadvantaged Institutions, which sees the proposals as a death sentence for black institutions. And the South African Universities Vice-Chancellors Association has argued strongly against mergers in principle as a tool of transformation.
But the arguments are far from over. Asmal announced that “by law, a three-month period is allowed for comments before finalisation of each of the proposed mergers. This three-month period is an important opportunity for further engagement.”
Immediately after Asmal’s announcement, Unitra told the Mail & Guardian it would “continue to put forward its case for survival”.
The Cabinet has approved the following:
- Port Elizabeth Technikon and the University of Port Elizabeth will merge, incorporating the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University. This will be one of four new “comprehensive institutions”.
- Border Technikon and Eastern Cape Technikon will merge, with two primary sites in East London and Umtata.
- The University of Fort Hare will remain separate and incorporate the East London campus of Rhodes University and the Medical School of the University of the Transkei, which will remain in Umtata.
- Rhodes University remains a separate institution.
- Technikon Free State remains a separate institution, and will incorporate the Welkom campus of Vista University.
- The University of the Free State remains separate, incorporating the Bloemfontein campus of Vista University and the Qwa Qwa Campus of the University of the North.
- Rand Afrikaans University and Technikon Witwatersrand will merge to form a comprehensive institution, incorporating the East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University.
- The University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria remain separate, with Pretoria incorporating the Mamelodi campus of Vista University.
- Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria will be merged.
- Potchefstroom University and the University of the North-West will merge.
- The Vaal Triangle campus of Potchefstroom University will be retained as part of the merged institution, incorporating the students and staff (but not the facilities) of the Sebokeng campus of Vista University.
- The Vaal Triangle Technikon remains separate, incorporating the infrastructure and facilities of the Sebokeng campus of Vista University.
- The students and staff of the Sebokeng campus of Vista University will be incorporated into the Vaal Triangle campus of the merged Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West.
- Mangosuthu Technikon will be merged with the new Durban Institute of Technology.
- The Umlazi campus of the University of Zululand will be transferred to the merged technikon.
- The University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal (including the Pietermaritzburg campus) will be merged.
- The University of Zululand will become a comprehensive institution.
- The University of the North, University of Venda and Medical University of Southern Africa will merge, with Medunsa relocating eventually to the Northern Province.
- The Universities of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch and Cape Town will remain separate.
- The dentistry schools of the Universities of Western Cape and Stellenbosch will be merged into a single school, to be located at the University of the Western Cape.
- Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon will be merged.
- National Institutes for Higher Education will be established in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.
- The merger of Unisa, Technikon SA and Vista University’s Distance Education Centre remains part of the government’s restructuring plan. Unisa launched a legal action against details of the merger in January.
- Also part of the government’s restructuring policy is the merger of ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal, which came into effect on April 1; and the incorporation of the University of the North’s Qwa Qwa campus into the University of the Free State.