NWU and Emfuleni Local Municipality Forge Stronger Partnership for Positive Community Impact
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus recently hosted a meeting with the executive mayor of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM), Cllr Sipho Radebe, to strengthen their partnership and to further explore possible opportunities that would positively impact the surrounding communities.
During the meeting, Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations, emphasised the significance of this long-standing collaboration and invited possible innovative ideas that can create more opportunities for students and improve their chances of employment.
She also highlighted that 65% of students at Vanderbijlpark Campus are NSFAS beneficiaries, and underscored the need to address the missing middle and to promote access to postgraduate qualifications, especially for honours programmes.
Among other issues discussed was the NWU’s participation in the municipality’s venture to craft a master plan for the area, as higher learning institutions are regarded to be a microcosm of society. The mayor also announced a new partnership with Rand Water to address the water challenges through the Special Vehicle Purpose project.
“It is important for the university and the municipality to collaborate on community projects that have a positive impact,” said mayor.
Reaffirming the municipality’s continued support for NWU students, they also discussed the advancement of the Purple Route, which could serve as a model to improve safety in the community The Purple Route is situated just outside the campus and include Hendrik van Eck and Andries Potgieter Boulevard. Initially, these routes will be maintained by performing grass-cutting and security patrols. In the future, there are plans to add lighting, maintain the gardens, and have visible patrols in the area. The NWU has allocated funds to launch the NWU Security Enhancement project which will be used to fund some components.
At the end of the meeting, the mayor introduced a bursary scheme to the value of R2,1 million aimed at financially assisting underprivileged students in the district, with the majority of the funds intended to be allocated to NWU students.
He said that the focus would be on coming up with an internship plan, as well as promoting honours programmes and assisting the missing middle, with an emphasis on programmes that lead to direct employment.
“We brainstormed some innovative ideas and strategies to address some of the most pressing challenges faced by the community,” said Nkosinathi Tom, acting director for Student Life on the campus.
“We believe that by leveraging the collective expertise and resources of the university and the municipality, we can make a positive impact on people’s lives.
“We also discussed the importance of nurturing an inclusive and collaborative environment that encourages active participation of all stakeholders in the development and implementation of community-focused initiatives. Overall, it was a productive and encouraging meeting, and we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead,” Nkosinathi said.