Pretoria – Cabinet says the establishment of the two new universities in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga is an achievement which reflects the importance government attaches to education as part of the nation’s development.
The Mpumalanga University will open in January 2014, making it possible for students from the province to study close to home. It will also generate a range of economic activities centred on servicing the university and its population.
“South Africa has made great advances in providing services and new institutions to the marginalised and needy communities…” said Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane, during Thursday’s post Cabinet briefing, in Cape Town.
Mpumalanga University is expected to specialise in agriculture and biodiversity linking into food security, natural resource management, nature conservation, plant and animal sciences, forestry and wood sciences, technology as well as wildlife management.
Its three start-up programmes will be delivered at three different sites. The Bachelor of Education will be delivered at the Siyabuswa Campus; the Diploma in Hospitality Management will be delivered at the Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust Hotel Academy in KaNyamazane, just outside of Nelspruit and the Bachelor of Agriculture will be delivered at the Lowveld College of Agriculture.
The Education programme will accommodate 100 students, while Agriculture will accommodate 20 students and Hospitality Management a further 20 students.
Cabinet has also reminded taxpayers, who still have to submit their tax returns, that the 22 November 2013 deadline for the electronic filing of individual tax returns for the 2012/13 tax year is fast approaching.
It commended the more than 3.6 million taxpayers who have filed their tax returns to date, helping government to provide much-needed services to improve the lives of all South Africans.
“South Africa is a much better place today than it was in 1994 due to the growing number of individuals and companies who are willing and able to contribute to the public purse, from which services and amenities are funded,” said Chabane. – SAnews.gov.za
