Universities in South Africa are on the brink of a physical renaissance: they are to receive a R5,95billion boost by 2010, to be used for refurbishing existing buildings, acquiring new ones, and improvements to teaching and learning equipment and library facilities.
The funds are in addition to the annual subsidies allocated to universities for operational costs. Education Minister Naledi Pandor told Higher Learning that the funds will also be spent on targeted initiatives to improve graduate outputs and produce more science, engineering and technology graduates.
This is the first major government allocation to institutions in the past 30 years. There was no major infrastructure investment in the sector 20 years prior to the demise of apartheid, or during the first 10 years of democracy when the new education department was finding its feet.
The sector creaked under pressure to increase student enrolment, with inadequate facilities to support this growth. In the meantime, its unserviced infrastructure slipped into varying degrees of disrepair.
Of the R5,95billion universities will receive, R2,1billion has already been allocated for 2002/03 to 2006/07. Pandor said: “These funds have supported — among other initiatives — direct merger costs, recapitalisation and infrastructure developments of merged institutions, in the context of their approved institutional operating plans.” The deputy director general of higher education, Dr Molapo Qhobela, told Higher Learning that these funds were also used to restore the balance sheets of universities that were in debt, so they could direct money elsewhere.
Pandor said a further R3,9billion will be allocated from 2007/08 to 2009/10. Universities will use the funding in different ways, in accordance with their needs, subject to the education ministry’s approval of their plans. Universities that received funds in the 2002/03 to 2006/07 period may not necessarily receive funds in the next phase and those that receive funds from now until 2010 may not have received allocations prior to this phase. But, between 2002 and 2010, all universities will have received funding from the department, with a bias towards historically black universities, with the objective of upgrading facilities so that disparities in learning, teaching and research facilities are ironed out.
The 2007 to 2010 allocations are based on individual universities’ revised student enrolment plans, approved by Pandor. Universities were asked what they would do, should they receive additional government resources, and were invited to submit plans by the end of July.
Pandor explained that “these funds are being used by some institutions to increase enrolment and graduation in science, engineering and technology, including scarce and critical skills such as engineering and the built environment. In some cases, these funds are intended to support the improvement of the teaching and learning infrastructure at former Vista campuses.”
This ring-fenced funding must be used only for projects approved by Pandor. The department will monitor, on an annual basis, the performance of institutions relative to their input and output targets.
“While the ministry of education recognises that this is a very significant investment by government in higher education, the department of education will continue to work with the national treasury regarding the review of the macro-funding of higher education,” said Pandor.
Some universities have already received their first tranche for the period 2007 to 2010, others will receive theirs when their plans are approved. The funding will be staggered and, by 2010, historically black institutions will have received an average of R317million each, historically white institutions R153million and merged institutions R257million.
Vice-chancellors have welcomed the investment. The University of Fort Hare is receiving R150million, which will be spent on acquiring property and revamping buildings on its East London campus, said vice-chancellor Professor Derrick Swartz. In the previous phase, it received R140million to restore its balance sheet and for improvements to its Alice campus.
Swartz said: “We’re very excited. We are on the cusp of a golden age. There is much optimism and we are turning the corner. However, any self-respecting vice-chancellor will tell you that we need more.”
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is receiving R300million, some of which is being used to upgrade its Missionvale (formerly Vista) campus, said vice-chancellor Dr Rolf Stumpf.
The University of Witwatersrand is to receive R200million on condition that it agrees to increase its student population from 25 000 to 28 000 and that, by 2010, 50% of its graduates are from the science, engineering and technology departments.
Tshwane University of Technology is “grateful” for the conditional R344million it is receiving, said vice-chancellor Professor Errol Tyobeka. Security will be upgraded on all campuses and infrastructure upgrades will take place, particularly at the Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwe campuses.
With an allocation of R249million from the department over the next three years, the facilities of the University of Venda (Univen) will be “right-sized” to cater for 10 500 students.
Dr Jim Leatt, acting vice-chancellor of Univen, said the campus would be completely transformed by 2010.
“Our infrastructural problems have been overwhelming. When you turn the tap on at other institutions, you don’t wonder if there will be water. At Venda you do. We are situated in a rural town. Our water problems are considerable. We can use some of the money to put in more boreholes,” said Leatt.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will receive R110million over three years — R20million this year, R30million next year and R60million in 2009. Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, vice-chancellor of UKZN, said the money will go towards the “national priority” of improving graduate output in the fields of science and technology.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) will receive R200million from the department, which will go towards the construction of a R440million science building. It will serve as a meeting place for scientists from around the world.
Professor Brian O’Connell, vice-chancellor of UWC, said the injection of funds into the university had released a stream of “energy and creativity at UWC”.
It is believed that the University of Johannesburg intends using some of its allocation of funds to upgrade its Soweto campus.