Students at North-West University’s (NWU) Mankwe campus toyi-toyied and burned tyres this week in protest against the university council’s apparent plan to relocate some of Mankwe’s academic courses to Mafikeng, about 200km away. But confusion reigns over exactly what the council intends for the black campus near Sun City.
There are contradictory accounts of a key council meeting on September 23, where Mankwe’s future was discussed, and there is uncertainty on campus about who is making decisions — the council or “institutional management”, which comprises eight members, including vice-chancellor Theuns Eloff.
Former minister of education Kader Asmal promised that university mergers would not lead to campus closures. Members of the Mankwe Representative Group (MRG) said that, while campaigning for the vice-chancellorship of NWU, Eloff pledged twice that Mankwe’s future was assured. The MRG also said Mankwe’s 400-odd students — all black and mostly poor — would face financial and other barriers to studying in Mafikeng. Twenty staffers also faced an insecure future.
A council newsletter account of the September 23 meeting says Mankwe will not be closed down and that the North West education department will take over much of the campus for further education and training (FET) courses. NWU would retain “a visible higher education presence at Mankwe by using it as a delivery site for selected programmes”.
Staff and students dispute this. “There was no agreement to transfer the campus to the province for FET programmes,” said Colin Mokone, chairperson of Mankwe’s student representative council, who attended the meeting. Other council members also disputed the newsletter’s version of what was agreed. They would “object strongly” at the next council meeting.
Eloff confirmed the newsletter’s version of events, adding that Mankwe had averaged a net loss of R5million a year for six years. “The national Department of Education has indicated its strong support for this move.” Eloff said relocation would affect only 80 of the 415 students. NWU management was talking to staff about all possibilities, including relocation. Students are boycotting exams pending Eloff’s response to their demands.