Re-Open Old Vista University Campuses...!!!!

My name is Rider Mampuru.

I have studied at Vista University ("Vista"), Mamelodi Campus during the period 1996-2000.

Background

Vista University was merged/incorporated with other universities which were deemed to be of good quality. The decision to merge the universities appeared to have good intentions BUT unfortunately the results proved otherwise. Vista university had 8 campuses, 7 of which were located at the townships to make it possible for the "poor black child" to access university education. I have studied at Mamelodi campus, a walking distance from my home and my fellows' lodging places. The students who did not have family in Mamelodi were renting backrooms at a mere R100 a month including water and lights. This meant that any black child could access a university education. An average total cost of a three year degree was just under R20 000 in record time.

The problem....

Yesterday, 10th January 2012, A parent was killed in a stampede at University of Johannesburg (a merger product of Vista university -East Rand and Soweto Campuses, RAU, and Wits Tech). One of the root causes to this tragedy is the closure of the campuses which were accommodating these numbers. I know that Mamelodi and East Rand campuses are currently dormant... these two campuses used to accommodate more than 20 000 students each.... It is very disappointing to realise that our government seems not to realise this problem.

Vista University was accessible and affordable to the "poor black child" and it was producing high quality professionals. This is supported by the number of black professionals that are making a tremendous contribution in both the Public and the Private sector. The notion that Vista did not provide quality education is pure lie that need to be disregarded at all costs. I am saying this because I am a proud, highly qualified professional product of VISTA UNIVERSITY and I am sure that there are hundreds of thousands of fellows who feel the same and are making a big contribution to the economy of our beloved country.

It is with the above mentioned reasons and the tragedy that hit one of the black family on the 10th January 2012 that I call on all professionals (All races) to sign this petition to the Minister of Higher Education to consider re-opening these campuses and other institutions which were serving the South African society with access to education. We do not want to see another person dying for education, IT IS ONE TOO MANY. One of the black children’s dreams has been dashed because of plans that never see a light of the day for implementation. We had so many "WHITE PAPERS", "GREEN PAPERS", "BLUE PAPERS" AND THE LIKES and all these seemed to have failed. The standard of education in the current institutions seemed to have dropped as graduates find it difficult to find jobs or at least to start their own businesses. Our government should start implementing the plans and stop changing the versions of the plans every office term.

I believe that if all current professionals could sign this petition, maybe our government could see the seriousness of this issue and perhaps they will come up with action plans which have timelines rather than open-ended. This need to be done before a new minister takes over in the next couple of months as it is a tradition for our government to change plans every time a new minister takes over.

Let us stand up and fight for the education of the black child.... this is like an HIV epidemic, it is either you are INFECTED or you are AFFECTED, therefore we need to work together to solve this problem. "Let us make our voices heard." SPREAD THE MESSAGE. More plans and actions will follow should this petition be a success.

Regards,

RB Mampuru

lehlogedi@absamail.co.za