We learned amazing things on public finance management in Washington DC and the metropolitan area around the federal city has more than 20 universities and institutions of higher learning.
I could not help but wonder why we do not even have one single university in Ekurhuleni. In discussing this educational conundrum with some of the delegates from other African countries, my fellow Africans were shocked that a city the size of Ekurhuleni does not have a single institution of higher learning.
We are the third largest metropolitan in South Africa, yet we do not have a university to educate our people. Even though we are in close proximity to universities in Johannesburg and Tswhane, as citizens of Ekurhuleni we have to ask the question: Why don’t we have our own university?
Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. Education provides dignity just as much as water and sanitation provide dignity. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits, not just for the individual but for the entire community. When I saw the student uprising last week, it sparked a renewed passion to see the establishment of a university in Ekurhuleni.
Many of our youth and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, not just as a result of poverty but also because of a shortage of universities. As residents of Ekurhuleni we need to champion the cause for the establishment of a university and institutions of higher learning in our city. We need to collectively promote and develop the right of every person to enjoy access to education of good quality, without discrimination or exclusion. It is for governments to fulfil their obligations both morally and politically in regard to providing educational institutions for all.
This educational institution must be of high standard and good quality to deliver graduates in targeted areas to make a better life for all possible. I believe we have the support of government on having a university in Ekurhuleni.
As a community we need to monitor the implementation of more effective educational strategies aligned to the needs of our people. Education is a powerful tool by which economically and socially marginalized youth and adults can lift themselves out of poverty and realise the dream of a better life for all.
