Watch: Boksburg residents hope university will be built on their home ground
The President has not mention where the university would be built or when construction was expected to begin.
Though it has not been finalised where the state-of-the-art University of Ekurhuleni will be situated, Boksburg residents are vying for it to be built in their city.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa recently revealed plans to build a new University of Science and Innovation in Ekurhuleni during his State of the Nation Address.
“Ekurhuleni is the only metro in the country that does not have a university. This will enable young people in that metro to be trained in high-impact and cutting-edge technological innovation for current and future industries,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Boksburg residents have given the idea the thumbs up, saying it’s about time.
Sunward Park resident and former general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, Frans Baleni, said he fully supported Ramaphosa’s announcement.
“Because ours is an industrial area, I think it should be built in Boksburg because it will complement our area’s rich economic hub. The university will also come in handy for the community in terms of employment and it is likely to produce great and powerful people in our area,” Baleni said.
Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen educator Henk Top, who was awarded Best Civil Technology Educator at the 2019 Ekurhuleni South Districts awards, welcomed the establishment of a new university of science and innovation in Ekurhuleni.
“There is a need for a university in Boksburg because it will afford students who can’t travel to other universities to get a qualification behind their name right on their doorstep,” said Top.
Chris van Biljon, founder of the Ekurhuleni Captains of Industry Forum, which plays a key role in connecting hundreds of businesses as well as addressing the challenges faced by the small and medium enterprises, said there is no area as deserving as Boksburg.
“I think this is a wonderful concept which will boost the education sphere and take us in the right direction as a country. The proposed university should come to Boksburg because we are close to the airport and industries.
“This will boost business sectors in Boksburg, such as accommodation, clothing and food stores,” said Biljon.
He urged local businesses to work with the metro to improve the economy of this country.
Path to university
In 2017, a delegation of experts drew up a road map for the establishment of a higher education institution in Ekurhuleni during a university symposium at the Lakes Conference Centre in Benoni.
That same year, the Advertiser reported on the feasibility study for a university within the metro.
Pieter Swanepoel, divisional head: Specialist Projects of Ekurhuleni Metro City Planning, said the feasibility study looked at factors such as what other institutes of higher learning offered, the funding models of competitor universities and fields of study.
During the State of the City Address in 2018, Masina said the metro had made progress towards the planning of the Ekurhuleni Applied Sciences and Technology University.
“We held a successful university symposium that gave us valuable insights into the path to take towards realising this vision. We need engineers, innovators and specialists in the fields of aviation, logistics and manufacturing.”
It was envisaged that this next-generation university would address overcrowding at technical and vocational education and training colleges, and lessen the challenge of accessibility to universities located outside Ekurhuleni.
Around November 2015, Ernest Waner, a businessman, also pressed the Ekurhuleni metro to approve his proposed idea for Ekurhuleni University, which would be subsidised by the government and situated in Brakpan.
According to Waner, a university based in Ekurhuleni will make education more affordable.
“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,” Waner said.
The Advertiser sought comment from the metro regarding the university.
