By Nkosinathi Sengwayo
Mbombela - Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana has announced plans to increase student intake at the newly opened University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in future.
Manana was speaking during the official opening of the academic year at the university's Lowveld Agricultural College campus, in Mbombela, on Wednesday.
"This is a new university and we expect that at least in the next 10 years it would have expanded and have introduced more programmes. The numbers of students is still low. We are expected to increase every year but at least by 2018 we would have finished building the university," said Manana.
The deputy minister added that the project was being taken very seriously and that the public will be kept informed on how new programmes will be rolled out.
"Between now and ten years, we will be growing our new university. We have created so much expectation from the people and so much interest and desire from their side to increase the programmes that we have," said Manana.
UMP’s chairman and head of academic affairs, Professor Ramaranka Mogotlane, said the institution has already admitted 160 students for three programmes, namely B Agric, Bachelor of Education: Foundation Phase and a National Diploma in Hospitality.
He said the programmes are under the patronage of the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria.
"The fear is not so much that we might not reach the target of 18 000 in future, but that we will overshoot the 18 000... Come next year, we no longer call this campus the Lowveld Agricultural College but University of Mpumalanga," he said.
Phumla Nkosi, 20, from Msogwaba near Mbombela, is one of the first students to enrol at the university.
"Last year I was applying to universities but I did not get accepted because they were telling me that I failed to meet the requirements. I feel honoured to be one of the first students in our province," said Nkosi. – SAnews.gov.za
