Asmal to spend R3bn on varsity transformation

Education Minister Kader Asmal's R3,1-billion plan to restructure tertiary education institutions has pitted him head-on with outraged academics.

Under the plan unveiled on Monday, the headstrong minister once again showed that he was willing to follow his own nose by announcing the mergers of several institutions.

While Wits University has remained intact, Rand Afrikaans University and the Technikon Witwatersrand will be merged with the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University.

Within the next two years, Asmal said, the number of South African tertiary institutions would be reduced from 36 to 23.

In all, there would be 11 universities, six technikons and six comprehensive institutions after the restructuring dust settles.

Outraged academics labelled the initiative "a farce", but Asmal was adamant his decision was final.

The Association of South African Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (Asahdi) and the Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP) said Asmal had ignored their views.

"One individual has ignored the entire sector of highly-trained, highly-competent people, and says it is wrong and he is right," fumed Asahdi chairperson Professor Itumeleng Mosala.

Mosala said the mergers would restrict black students' access to tertiary education because it was likely that fees charged would be pegged at levels which the financially dominant institutions billed.

And Asmal was adamant that the days of the state underwriting institutions' debt would end.

"There is no educational or historic justification for these mergers... I suppose the struggle continues," said Mosala.

CTP chairperson Professor Marcus Balintulo said Asmal's call for proposals had been "an absolute farce".

Balintulo said there was no justification for reducing the number of technikons from 15 to six when research had shown that the majority of students preferred technikon education.

The R3,1-billion figure includes costs for severance packages for staff, as it is expected that there will be a surplus following the mergers.

Asmal said the process of merging the University of South Africa (Unisa), Technikon South Africa and the Vista University Distance Education Centre was already under way.

Unisa spokesperson Doreen Gough said the three institutions had already set up a task group.

Present at Monday's briefing were Asmal's deputy Mosibudi Mangena, government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe, and Saki Macozoma, who headed the Council for Higher Education, the body on whose recommendations Asmal acted.

Asked whether the decision by some unhappy vice-chancellors to ask for President Thabo Mbeki's intervention would delay the process, Asmal stated that such action would be futile.

"We don't see how this process could be unscrambled," he said.

Macozoma said the restructuring was the way to go if the country hoped to improve higher education.

Mpumalanga and Northern Cape will for the first time get tertiary institutions of their own.

The same principle of spreading centres of learning throughout the country has saved the universities of Venda and Zululand, whose demise was widely predicted.

Instead, these two and Unitra's medical school will be merged.

About R1,3-billion of the money will be spent on financing institutions which are in the red.

Technikon Witwatersrand, Technikon Pretoria, Rhodes and Turfloop hailed Asmal's announcement.