No movement at Tshwane North TVET campus

There was no movement on Thursday morning at the Tshwane North College Pretoria campus as the South African Further Education and Training Student Association (SAFETSA) entered their first day of the shutdown of all 50 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges countrywide.

A woman walks past the locked front gate of the Tshwane North College Pretoria Campus in the Pretoria CBD, 19 January 2017, the college was closed due to the shutdown of all TVET colleges in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

College security guards put a lock on the college’s gate in Stanza Bopape Street in Pretoria. There is also a notice that informs people of the shutdown and of a further update on January 25.

SAFETSA deputy president Arrafat Joel said their national executive committee (NEC) leaders, who include SRC members, were deployed to all 265 campuses countrywide to make sure no learning was taking place.

He advised students who did not want to take part in any protest, or who were against the shutdown, to “rather stay home”.

A sign left outside the locked front gate of the Tshwane North College Pretoria Campus in the Pretoria CBD, 19 January 2017, the college was closed due to the shutdown of all TVET colleges in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Meanwhile, Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande called on formations representing TVET students to engage in discussion with his department and college administration to strengthen and renew efforts to resolve their legitimate issues.

He admitted they still had a long way to go before TVET colleges could be at peak performance in terms of delivering on their mandate of empowering young people.

“We call on the students representative bodies at the TVET Colleges to engage with us and their administrations, as we together ensure continuing improvement,” Nzimande said.

A woman is seen outside the locked front gate of the Tshwane North College Pretoria Campus in the Pretoria CBD, 19 January 2017, the college was closed due to the shutdown of all TVET colleges in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Joel said they could not disclose which leaders had been deployed to what campus for security reasons. They fears that the police might try to arrest the leaders to numb the whole movement.

SAFETSA made it clear the only way they would stop the shutdown would be if the DHET signed a memorandum of agreement to address and solve the delay of results and pending certificates since 2012, insufficient Nsfas funding, the delay of accommodation and transport allowances, poor infrastructure and development, and students’ victimisation.

Nzimanda said: “TVET Colleges have been and remain on a continual road to improvement since we unified structures and management. Nevertheless, we are aware that there is still a way to go until the institutions are at peak performance in terms of delivering on their mandate of empowering young people across the country.”

People are seen outside the locked front gate of the Tshwane North College Pretoria Campus in the Pretoria CBD, 19 January 2017, the college was closed due to the shutdown of all TVET colleges in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Nzimande reiterates both the constitutional right of those wishing to protest to do so peacefully and the equally important right of those who wished to continue teaching and learning to do so unhindered and without intimidation.