MNQUMA Local Municipality has signed a five-year partnership with Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and King Hintsa Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (KHTVET) College.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the three parties is aimed at identifying and implementing development projects which will benefit students from both institutions, and the broader community of Mnquma.
These include capacity-building initiatives for emerging local entrepreneurs, resource mobilisation for development projects, in-service training opportunities for WSU and KHTVET students, research, and innovation, including policy and strategy formulation.
A project steering committee, made up of officials from the municipality’s local economic development and planning unit, the tourism, and hospitality faculty of WSU, and King Hintsa TVET College’s occupational programmes unit has been set up to monitor the implementation of the MoU annually.
Mnquma Local Municipality municipal manager, Silumko Mahlasela, WSU Butterworth Campus acting rector, Dr Bulelwa Nguza, and King Hintsa TVET College acting principal, Tembelihle Ntlangano, signed the MoU at the auditorium in WSU’s Ibika Campus.
They all pledged to make the MOU a “living” document.
“The MoU is our pledge to ensure that there is economic, human, and social development in our area. It talks to our wide range of efforts in building a better future for young people and the country at large,” he said.
Dr Nguza signed the document on behalf of WSU vice-chancellor, Professor Rushiella Songca.
“We will make it a point that the MoU is implemented. I sincerely believe in teamwork that when we are united, we can go a long way in developing young people for a brighter future,” she said.
“As a college we are a beacon of hope for our surrounding communities; therefore we are going to make this a living document,” concluded Ntlangano.
