Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor says they have set aside R20 billion over the next three years, for housing projects in various disadvantaged universities across the country.
Pandor and founder of the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, opened new students accommodation.
Problems regarding accommodation at the institution came under the spotlight after the killing of a student, Zolile Khumalo, earlier this year at an off-campus residence, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend.
Pandor explained the need for improved accommodation.
“The murder of Zolile Khumalo occurred in an off campus residence that was leased by the institution. I am very pleased that today we are opening a 680 bed residence which will accommodate students at the university. This is something that our government has committed to, we have set aside R20 billion over the next three years for a project that we call ‘ship’ which is students housing infrastructure programme.”
A fountain was erected on the new premises in honour of Khumalo, with her family present.
“We are thankful to the university for remembering my child as one of their own who was here as well as a student, it is important that as men we make sure that incidents similar to what happened to my child and others stop, we seriously appeal to the justice system to hand down harsher sentences to criminals convicted of crimes against women,” says her father Solomuzi Khumula.
Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi spoke out strongly against women abuse.
“I think this has gone far too far, the brutality that is directed to our women in this country is really just too much to describe and I think this particular incident where Zolile Khumalo was murdered in cold blood by her former boyfriend in fact should be the limit for us. For me who has lost five children who were not murdered; died in different circumstances I know exactly (how it feels like to lose a child) and I said this to the parents of Zolile as well that only I personally who has lost children myself know what they are going through. In their case it is even worse, their child was actually murdered in cold blood. I think this should shame us all. I think as a population of this country, I think enough is enough. I think something must be done before we wipe ourselves off because we are really harming ourselves when we do this to our women, our women are the backbone of our nation.”
Mangosuthu University of Technology Chancellor Lindiwe Sisulu says she will be joining students at the trial of Zolile Khumalo’s former boyfriend. She says they are calling for a life sentence…
“ We would like to propose a law to parliament that anybody who kills a woman will get a life sentence and that means the duration of their lives not just the 15 years that is statutorily regarded as life sentence because this is the most heinous crime ever committed. I would like to urge students of Mangosuthu to make sure that when the trial begins they are there especially the women. I will join them and we are demanding maximum sentence for this boy; to the parents I can’t imagine what they have gone through.”
The day began with the inauguration of Doctor Enoch Malaza as the new Vice Chancellor of the Mangosuthu University of Technology. Click below for more on the story:
