South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, poses a danger to democracy by continuiing to blur the lines between the state and the party.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Tshwane University of Technology
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is a proud product of South Africa’s first decade of democracy. While the size and scope of this dynamic new institution impress, the quality of its teaching, research and community engagement is what makes the University really stands out.
TUT was established on 1 January 2004, with the merging of the former Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria. At the time of the merger, the uniquely South African institutional designation of “technikon” was dropped in favour for the internationally accepted “university of technology” designation.
Students This new mega-institution annually enrols approximately 60 000 students. Its student body is one of the most demographically representative in the country in terms of both race and gender, reflecting the Rainbow Nation in all its diversity. With almost 22 per cent of contact students accommodated in residences, the University is by far the largest residential higher education institution in Southern Africa.
Campuses Its geographic footprint covers four of South Africa’s nine provinces – Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North-West Province – with campuses located in Tshwane (Pretoria, Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa), Mbombela, eMalahleni (previously called Witbank) and Polokwane (previously called Pietersburg). Large numbers of students are also drawn from other provinces and from neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland.
Staff members TUT employs more than 2 700 permanent staff members, including almost 855 highly qualified permanent academics. These academics are increasingly focusing on conducting applied research and community engagement activities in addition to their instructional roles. Caring for the underprivileged, the upliftment of people and assisting those in need are key elements of the University’s community engagement strategy.
Career-focused TUT is truly an institution in service of the Southern African community. One of its key focuses is, therefore, the economic and social development of the Southern African region. In its quest to promote knowledge and technology, it provides the market with a career-focused workforce. It also aims at making a significant contribution to creating sustainable economic growth that will impact on the standard of living of all of the region’s people.
The education offered at TUT, with its entrepreneurial focus, opens up unlimited opportunities for students to become job creators and entrepreneurs. This is established by creating prosperity through the stimulation of innovation and creative thinking. This is facilitated by various incubators and technology stations.
TUT strives to be a leading institution, viewing the diversity of its staff, students and other stakeholders as a strength to be nurtured in service of the country and the African continent. The University is committed to ongoing transformation to make it ever more responsive to the needs of Southern Africa and the continent, as a whole.
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There are several steps South Africa’s governing party must take to strengthen democracy now that Jacob Zuma has resigned.
Free university education and land redistribution without compensation have far-reaching implications for South Africa’s economy, and requires exceptional leadership.
Zuma’s last address to South Africa’s governing party, the ANC, as its president, betrayed his strange way of dealing with issues. He came across as delusional and self-indulgent.
The ANC’s elective conference has very important implications for South Africa’s future. Whoever leads determines the kind of leader the country will get, and what policy trajectory will be taken.
Africa has recorded a tremendous growth in its output of academic engineering research over the past 20 years. Greater collaboration can increase this growth even more.
South African President Jacob Zuma, should be worried about the outcome of the no confidence vote in him. His legitimacy in the ANC and the country has plummeted.
South Africa’s governing ANC appears to have lost claim to being a leader of society. This is clear from the outcome of its policy conference.
Recent events suggest that South Africa’s government may be resorting to short-term measures to pacify anger over lack of housing. But what’s needed is a major overhaul of the housing policy.
President Jacob Zuma’s grounds for appeal are surreal. He invokes the meaning of a rule set by the apartheid context he ferociously fought against, to justify his executive action in a democracy.
South Africa’s social grants fiasco begs the question: was it orchestrated to undermine the judiciary and the constitution and hide sheer incompetence on the part of government?
After two decades of political dominance, the electoral performance of the ANC is at its lowest since it became the governing party of South Africa in 1994. But is the party really unraveling?
The former public protector’s report has stirred national consciousness. Jacob Zuma is swimming against the tide. Is he sinking, or might he still pull the trick of a proverbial cat with nine lives?
Some students argue wrongly that the ANC has betrayed the promise of free higher education made in the Freedom Charter. The governing party’s populism is also to blame for the confusion.
South Africa’s higher education minister has dealt with fee increments for 2017 but sidestepped students’ fundamental issue: an ongoing call to make higher education free for all.
South Africa’s watershed local elections have resulted in upsets for the ANC in key metropoles. But will the new, minority coalition regimes live up to their mandate of providing basic services?
The current system for regulating advertising in South Africa is dependent on the buy-in of the advertiser. But this may be about to change.
The ANC’s waning urban vote and growing support rural is not a political trend unique to South Africa. Many of Africa’s liberation-movements-cum-governing-parties now depend on rural support for political longevity.
The brouhaha over South Africa’s upcoming high-stakes municipal elections hides critically important questions about the continued relevance of local government amid growing public disaffection.
Free public higher education is possible and necessary. It’s also realistic, if it’s based on thorough research, consultation and students giving back through community service after graduation.
Authors
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Professor of Architecture and SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment), Tshwane University of Technology
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Lecturer, Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor Extraordinaire, Tshwane University of Technology
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Research Platform Chair for Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa (PBA2), Tshwane University of Technology
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PhD in public health, Tshwane University of Technology
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DST-NRF SARChI Chair in Innovation Studies, Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology
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Lecturer in Costume Theory and theatre costumer, Tshwane University of Technology
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Associate Professor in Performing Arts, Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor: Zoology & Ecology, Tshwane University of Technology
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Associate Professor in Visual Communication, Tshwane University of Technology
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor, HOD Education, Tshwane University of Technology
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Researcher in School of Economics and Finance, Tshwane University of Technology
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Researcher, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology
