Deputy President Jacob Zuma praised Africa’s biggest university on Tuesday for helping to educate some of the country’s greatest leaders, imprisoned on Robben Island during the anti-apartheid struggle.
Zuma said that through the University of South Africa those prisoners were ”able to achieve their objectives”, and Unisa provided them a view into the outside world.
”Education on Robben Island provided a mirror into the outside world, which the warders and the apartheid system tried to keep hidden from prisoners.
”Unisa students on the island had contact with the outside world through correspondence with lecturers and the study materials.
”(This) proved to be an important source of information for many inmates, some who were not even registered students,” Zuma said in a speech prepared for delivery at Unisa’s 130th year anniversary celebration in Midrand.
He said the university had been a pioneer in open and distance learning in the last 130 years, long before the information technology revolution.
It had provided education to many historically disadvantaged people during a time when access to proper education was difficult due to apartheid.
”In this way, Unisa contradicted the then discriminatory education policy dictates of the apartheid government who sought to limit access to education for the historically disadvantaged,” he said.
Zuma said another outstanding achievement of the university was its provision of education to many countries in Africa which was contributing to the revival of the continent.
”Unisa has become an even more invaluable asset for our country, as we try to do our best to contribute to creating a better Africa and a better world.”
Zuma wished Unisa all the best saying he hoped it grew from strength to strength. – Sapa