Hon Chairperson of the House, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon chairperson of the portfolio committee and members of the portfolio committee, I just wish to focus on what one wants to refer to as facts - something that you cannot change, like the truth. In the words of the former Indian Prime Minister: "Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes."
Urban millennials and the likes of the Twitter brigades will tell you that they do everything for the "gram", to look good, despite the fact that behind their masks there are deep-rooted issues, which they don't report.
It is important that facts drive policy in this department and that facts come first before we amend targets. There are various reasons why we amend targets. We amend targets because we want to look good. Sometimes we amend targets so that we can meet them. The fact is that the department has, on a number of occasions, dropped the bar and its standards to do better on paper. The annual performance plan, APP, reflects this.
Facts are critical in ensuring that government knows exactly where the gaps are and how to address them. We do live in an era of fake news and fiction, but government and this department must be the leaders in facts. The Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology leads in discovery, research and advice.
A couple of hard facts that we must hear and listen to should shape the way forward over the medium term for this department. It is a fact that this department has been unable to ensure that all students are accommodated in affordable, dignified buildings on campuses across the country. I am happy that the Minister touched on this, but a lot needs to be done so that this is properly addressed.
It is a dreadful fact that students are found squatting, simply because there is no proper accommodation. Some are housed within townships and are subjected to fear, intimidation and crime, as they walk to their respective classes because they are not housed in proper accommodation and they come across serious difficulties along the way.
It certainly will become a fact of life on campuses when students are ill- treated, disrespected and not provided with at least the minimum tools of trade to accomplish graduation.
It is also fact that a majority of students graduating from tertiary institutions will be stepping out into the workplace that is virtually not ready to accommodate them.
It is also a fact that far too many students, specifically, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, are falling through the cracks and we are failing them when we do not prioritise their needs and assist them to prosper.
Another sad fact we face is that when government fails in streamlining the quality of education from early childhood development, ECD, level to further education and training, the task at hand becomes increasingly difficulty when higher education must pick up where government has failed in the system.
Furthermore, it is a fact that we continue to fail black academics and that we have not met the much-needed targets for transformation within the higher education sector.
From the top down, it is imperative that we address this over the next few years, in order to structurally transform centres of higher education.
The promotion of research output, the publication of data and more importantly, the job opportunities offered to artisans, apprentices and graduates of TVET colleges must take centre stage.
We need to ensure that we place all our learners who are in training, who are studying and who are essentially our future at the forefront of what we do. We must speak more of the knowledge economy, in order to grow.
Let us work together to build and capacitate the state with the scare skills we require, so that we do not have to knock on other doors to fill the employment gaps. We support this Budget Vote. [Applause.]