Hon Chairperson, the Department of Higher Education and Training has a crucial role to play in providing employable candidates for the job market. In this regard, the management and governance of higher education and training institutions are of the utmost importance.
Institutions such as the Central University of Technology, CUT, the Vaal University of Technology, VUT, the Tshwane University of Technology, TUT, the Walter Sisulu University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal are faced with a number of problems. This is an indication that higher education institutions are not functioning at the level that they should be.
Although the Minister has initiated some interventions by appointing assessors and administrators, there are still questions about the effectiveness of some of these administrators and assessors. An example of this is the fact that the dismissed vice chancellor of TUT has been reinstated to the position of deputy vice chancellor as at 1 June 2012, despite his fraudulent PhD. How could an administrator appointed by the Minister allow this to happen?
For students to enter the job market they need to complete their courses successfully. But it is totally counterproductive if the department is not able to ensure that successful candidates receive their certificates. In some instances students have been waiting for more than two years, and this prevents them from entering the job market or starting their own businesses. This is not only extremely unfair towards the students but is also a disservice to the country's economy.
These are only a few of the problems faced by Higher Education and Training. In this light, the DA cannot support this Budget Vote. I thank you, Chairperson.