Challenges must be met by new varsity

THE academic year has begun at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the coming together of the Vista University Campus, the PE Technikon and the University of Port Elizabeth – three major institutions which have played an important part of the metro’s life.

It is a merger which has been performed with remarkable swiftness and care, one which creates new opportunities for thousands of young people eager to study and qualify themselves for a major role in the South African marketplace.

Much of the necessary infrastructure is already available at the neighbouring Summerstrand campuses. But much more will be needed to be done to incorporate and uplift the former Vista campus as an equal partner in the greater whole.

The wider community must benefit, too. Here will be the opportunity to promote a health sciences faculty – the Vista campus being conveniently placed to the Dora Nginza Hospital, built as a state-of-the-art institution but now dismally rundown.

That could all change if it became a university hospital, one which could provide superior services tor the broader community and one which could provide experiential training for those studying in this field.

Building up this faculty and this institution could be done in such a way that students there would remain an important part of the greater Summerstrand campus while not being overshadowed by it.

The challenge facing the new university is to ensure that students of the greater campus receive all the help they need to become successful members of the new university which has been launched under the able leadership of interim ViceChancellor Rolf Stumpf who well understands the importance of fees income.

Against that have to be balanced the needs of formerly disadvantaged communities. The new university belongs to all the metro.

Much is expected of it, not least securing a fair system to fund needy students.

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Huge change of heart on Zim

THE ANC’s sudden change of stance towards Zimbabwe was again emphasised last week with its endorsement of plans by alliance partner Cosatu to make a second fact-finding visit to our embattled northern neighbour next week.

This is despite a threat by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s government to deport the South African delegation.

This follows the ANC’s call for Zimbabwe to lift electioneering restrictions against the opposition.

The unexpected support for Cosatu’s , mission to Zimbabwe by our government is all the more significant bearing in mind that a little less than three months ago it and the trade union body were at loggerheads over the latter’s abortive first trip north last year.

The ANC was highly critical of that trip following the deportation of the Cosatu delegation from Zimbabwe.

The spat even threatened to cause a split in the tripartite alliance involving the two and the South African Communist Party.

President Thabo Mbeki himself was said to have been “incensed” that Cosatu had made the trip.

However, since then, there has clearly been a change of heart – brought about no doubt, through pressure from Cosatu.

The government, it seems, has at last realised that there is little chance of a free and fair election in Zimbabwe in March unless it intervenes and persuades Mugabe to follow the basic tenets of a democracy.