This is despite the recent student protests that rocked the country over university fees and affordable higher education.
Waner, a business owner, has, over the last couple of years, been pressing the Ekurhuleni Metro to approve his proposed idea for Ekurhuleni University, which will be subsidised by the government and situated in Brakpan.
“A private university is only possible based on healthy profits; for now our requirements need attention and, therefore, the assistance of government,” said Waner, who is disappointed that local government is dragging its feet about making this concept a reality.
According to Waner, a university based in Ekurhuleni will make education more affordable, because students will be able to attend a place of higher education closer to where they reside.
“Many students in Ekurhuleni need to attend universities located in Johannesburg and Pretoria; for example, the University of the Witwatersrand is located 43km from Brakpan,” he said.
“Most South Africans cannot afford to travel over 40km to and from university every day, or to pay for university residence accommodation. This adds to the expense of obtaining an education.
“Those who can afford to travel to universities in other cities later leave their home towns and take their newly acquired skills with them. As a result, the area is deteriorating as businesses move out and poverty rises among an increasingly unemployed and uneducated population.
“A university in Brakpan would particularly assist the very poor, who attend less privileged schools and who receive very little support to improve themselves.
“More than one in three black persons in Ekurhuleni live in shacks and there are 115 informal settlements in Ekurhuleni.
“Official statistics state that the unemployment rate in the area is high at 25 per cent. The poor have a hunger for education and parents want to make the financial sacrifice to send their children to good schools.
“Many opportunist colleges exist which misinform uneducated parents and take advantage of them.”
According to Waner, very little has been done by the Ekurhuleni Metro to make education more affordable to the students living on the East Rand.
Regarding the recent protests, he said that even though he appreciates the stand made by the students, performance and success must be a main point of discussion when it comes to free education.
“If government is going to support students, then students must come to the table and perform well,” he added.
”If, however, a student fails more than once, the students is wasting the government’s money and must, therefore, pay back his fees and let someone else have an opportunity.”
