Tag Archives: Sciences and Creative Industries

Committee calls on University of Fort Hare to get its house in order

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Picture: University of Fort Hare

By REGINALD KANYANE

7 July 2026 – The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, Makhi Feni calls on the University of Fort Hare to resolve its governance challenges if it is to focus on academic programme and research output excellence. Feni said the recent happenings concerning court appearances do not bode well for the brand of the university as well as the academic programme.

“We therefore call on the university to speedily resolve issues of the registration of the Eastern Cape premier and not allow straightforward matters to compromise the image of the institution.

“The Vice Chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu remains on suspension with serious governance lapses. The court matters should not even be happening as registration criteria and qualifications should be sole preserve of the university,” he said.

Feni further said the University of Fort Hare lost a case against Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane regarding deregistration for his MA studies, a program through which he applied using recognition of prior learning method, acceptable in the National Qualifications Framework. He added that the committee notes the ruling and calls for a speedy resolution to these matters.

“We accept the right to appeal will always be there in case the university wanted to take that route, but if they do, it must be done advisably and reservedly. As the committee we are keen on matters of the burned building, court processes concerning university staff regarding assassinations.

“These are the things that should occupy the university,” concluded Feni.

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Committee to assess safety and security in schools

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

21 April 2026 – The Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries will tomorrow kick-start its oversight visit to schools around Matlosana in the North West. The committee said the visit is in line with the objectives of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to ensure that challenges schools face in providing quality services to the learners in the North West are eliminated.

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, Chairperson of the committee, Makhi Feni said above infrastructure challenges, the committee will seek an update on themes such as challenges of school children without birth certificates, state of ECDs, status on the provision of National School Nutrition Programme and status on the provision of scholar transport. Feni said this includes the status of safety and security in schools and incidences of bullying in schools.

“We will have Keurhof Special School, Vukani Mawethu Secondary School and Mofatlhosi Secondary School,” he said.

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Portfolio shocked as principal shot dead

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Police and emergency responders on the scene of a shooting outside the Ekuthuleni Primary School in Kraaifontein, Cape Town on 23 January 2025. Picture: Melikhaya Zagagana/EWN

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

26 January 2025– The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, Makhi Feni, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the callous killing of Ekuthuleni Primary School principal, Jeffrey Sigudla in Wallacedene in Kraaifontein, Cape Town, Western Cape. Feni said what is alleged to have occurred has been a traumatic experience for all those who witnessed it, particularly for the young learners.

He further said the law enforcement should spare no effort in finding the culprits of this heinous act and the reasons they committed it. Feni added that the school principals are vulnerable to these kinds of hits and this is becoming normal.

“The media reports indicated that on Wednesday, the primary school principal was shot and killed in front of members of the school community. The assailants remain at large.

“We call on communities to jealously protect their schools and to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators. This raises concerns about security issues around schools,” he said.

Feni said they ought to strengthen security, but that should not replace community vigilance on these challenges, as well as school vandalism. He said as much as they do not know why this happened, people ought to remember that principals are appointed by the department and the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) on account of their competence in school management.

“The committee sends its deepest condolences to the bereaved Sigudla family, their friends and the school community. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” said Feni.

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