Modern Quarrying January-February 2015

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6 MODERN QUARRYING January - February 2015
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
The higher education sector is at risk
due to a lack of substantial funding from
the State and other societal actors. The
amount of funding available for students
in South Africa wanting to pursue tertiary
education is inadequate and well below
that of international norms in similar
developing countries.
“This is a national, systematic problem
that should be addressed at the highest
levels of government if we are committed
to investing in the future of our country,”
says Wits vice-chancellor and principal,
Professor AdamHabib.“We recognise that
the funds allocated by the State to the
National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme
(NSFAS) has quadrupled over the last five
years to R9,5-billion. Despite this, the
demand for financial aid still outstrips the
availability of funds dedicated to higher
education study.
“Wits, like other higher education
institutions in the country, administer
funds on behalf of NSFAS. The amount
of money allocated to universities from
NSFAS in 2015 is limited and universities
have been explicitly instructed not to
overspend on the amounts allocated to
them,” he says.
For 2015, Wits has been allo -
cated R179-million by NSFAS, of which
approximately R152-million has been
offered predominantly to returning
students. The R152-million has been
offered to some 2 090 returning stu-
dents and 330 new, first-year stu-
dents. It is anticipated that by the
completion of registration in mid-
February, that Wits will have offered
NSFAS funding to about 450 additional
students. In total, NSFAS packages will
be allocated to about 2 870 students at
Wits this year.
The university will continue process-
ing NSFAS applications as registration
takes place over the next few weeks.
Wits has consistently awarded the
most number of bursaries and schol-
arships in the country to students,
according to data collected by the
Ministerial Committee on the Funding of
Universities. Last year, Wits administered
about R828-million in student funding
which it obtained from various internal
and external sources including NSFAS,
bursaries, scholarships, governments and
the private sector.
“The university must also stress that it
informed students several times last year
that they should prepare to pay their fees
should there be insufficient funding from
NSFAS. Other issues which are surfacing
Corobrik upbeat on building sector
Brick manufacturer Corobrik is upbeat on
prospects for 2015, following an increase in
government infrastructural spending since
the May 2014 general election. Managing
director Dirk Meyer says that added to
infrastructural spending, there has been
a 15% increase in sales due to a modest
recovery in the residential market. In the
first three months of the current financial
year, the group has sold more bricks into
dwellings than in the past few years.
“While growth is slow, it is steady and
we are confident there is sufficient build-
ing activity n the market for Corobrik to
successfully gain an improved sharehold-
ing in the walling and paving arenas. A key
in 2015 will be growing organically as the
group implements internal capital projects
aimed at competing for moremarket share.”
His comments come as the industry
recovers from some of the worst years
experienced; particularly after the 2010
World Cup Soccer tournament once the
infrastructure demanded for that event
had been completed.
While experiencing a slow resurgence
in residential and building activity, the
Western Cape has picked up significantly.
Meyer says several projects that had been
suspended are back on track and develop-
ment activity in this area, which had been
halted following the economic slump and
a resultant glut of residential stock, is also
showing recovery.
Corobrik has identified four entities:
government, the building material sup-
pliers, contractors and end users or ben-
eficiaries, as being the significant players
in the company being able to achieve its
goal for greater influence in the public sec-
tor. Government facilitates building and
construction of schools, hospitals, clinics,
houses and roads; building material sup-
pliers supply the materials to contractor
building facilities on government’s behalf,
and communities receive quality houses
and schools.
According to Corobrik commercial
director Musa Shangase, each entity has a
role to support one another so that chain
will not break.
Student funding and financial aid debacle
The higher education sector is at risk due to a
lack of substantial funding from the State and
other societal sectors.
are that many students did not apply, or
did not apply on time, while others sub-
mitted incomplete information, resulting
in their applications not being processed
timeously,” Habib confirms.
“There is definitely a need for more
financial aid for students throughout
the country and rather than directing
misguided anger towards universities,
we should be approaching NSFAS, gov-
ernment and other sectors of society to
collectively invest in developing the high
level skills that our country and continent
desperately requires,” he urges.
Optimistic about the future: Corobrik managing
director Dirk Meyer.