Nzimande hails Unisa as mother of country’s university system.

By Lehlohonolo Lehana.

Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande has hailed the University of South Africa (UNISA) as the mother of the country’s university system.

UNISA celebrated its 150th anniversary with the university community through a celebratory event at its Muckleneuck campus in Pretoria.

Unisa used the occasion to reflect on the trailblazing footprints it has left the education in SA and globally since its inception in 1873. Many of our struggle stalwarts who were imprisoned on Robben Island and other prisons are products of Unisa.

It continued to produce quality graduates who go on to successfully lead society in politics, commerce, academia and other fields.

It is the alma mater of many great leaders, amongst whom it proudly lists the founding father of our nation and our first democratic president, Isithwalandwe Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.

Nzimande said UNISA has played a huge role in the university system in the country as it gave birth to a lot of other universities.

Issues of governance also continue to plague the university, including claims of maladministration and tender corruption.

Nzimande appointed Independent Assessor, Professor Themba Mosia to investigate various issues at UNISA.

Mosia who recently released his report recommended that an administrator be appointed to steer UNISA into the right direction.

The scathing 300-page report found that the Vice-Chancellor Puleng Lenkabula has been flouting procurement procedures for five years. 

Nzimande said the issues will not be swept under the carpet.

“I want to say as someone assigned the task of being minister in this respect, we are seeking to address the challenges that are facing Unisa. Not because we want to run Unisa down, it’s because the governance challenges it is facing are the issue of its operating model. We want to address those so that it continues to play the role it is supposed to play in South Africa.”

At the same time the university’s chancellor, former president Thabo Mbeki, warned against the decline of the institution.

“In this context,  I hope that many of us have read the relatively short article on Unisa by one of our leaders that  I greatly respect, Dr Mosibudi Mangena, former president of Azapo and former minister of science and technology.

“He said: ‘Some of us were alarmed and saddened by stories circulating in various media outlets in recent weeks about alleged wrongdoings at the Unisa’ and he said: ‘Every patriotic South African should be worried about the apparent decline in the prestige of Unisa. But a collapse should induce earthquakes in our heads”. 

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has hailed the University of South Africa (Unisa) for transforming into an institution of higher learning that is committed to quality and universal education accessible to all Africans.

Mashatile said the instruction of the Freedom Charter was to ensure the free exchange of ideas, the encouragement of cultural expression, and free, compulsory, universal and equal education for all.

“As we commemorate the 150th year of Unisa, the largest and oldest institution in sub-Saharan Africa, we should reflect on how Unisa has contributed to shaping Africa’s intellectual future by asking difficult questions about Unisa’s future contribution to a better Africa and the world,” he said.

Unisa was an example of accessible education by offering distance learning programmes, Mashatile said, adding that the university has touched many people who would not otherwise be able to visit its campuses across the continent.

“This includes establishing centres in other nations, such as Ethiopia, which hosts the AU’s headquarters.”

The institution’s commitment to remaining flexible in the face of societal shifts is evinced in the breadth and depth of the institution’s degree, diploma and certificate programmes, said Mashatile.

“Today we commend the university for having six academic colleges and over 350,000 students, making it one of the world’s most diverse universities.

“One of Unisa’s greatest assets is its dedication to making education accessible to students from diverse backgrounds across the African continent.”

By leveraging technology and innovative teaching methods, the university has overcome geographic barriers and expanded access to higher education for individuals who might not have had it otherwise due to their socioeconomic circumstances, he said.

Mashatile thanked the university for having played a “critical role” in establishing African leadership and development agendas through its unique curriculum, research projects and community participation.

“While we acknowledge the strides that have been made towards transforming education in South Africa, the task ahead is still considerable. We must continue to work towards closing the education gap and ensuring that every child has the same opportunities.”

Watch Live in the video below:

Video Courtesy of SABC.

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