National Government Oversight Visit to UKZN Ahead of 2026 Academic Year

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Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube was at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) recently as part of her oversight visit to institutions of higher learning across the province.

The visit was part of the Department of Higher Education and Training’s ongoing efforts to assess institutional readiness for the 2026 academic year, with a particular focus on registration processes, infrastructure capacity and academic preparedness.

Following a series of presentations by UKZN management and the SRC, the Deputy Minister engaged with institutional leadership on the role of universities in driving national development through research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The presentation outlined the challenges and institutional renewal journey of the University, including financial difficulties, declining government grants, student debt, understaffing, gender imbalance in senior management, infrastructure issues and aging buildings.

UKZN Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Nana Poku extended a warm welcome to Dube-Ncube, noting her longstanding relationship with UKZN. “Let me begin by extending a very warm welcome to the Honourable Minister, who is no stranger to this Institution. We are particularly delighted to welcome her back to UKZN.”

Poku thanked Dube-Ncube for her continued engagement with the University, adding: “We are pleased that she has chosen to spend time with us - we are grateful that she has graced us with her presence.” He further highlighted the significance of the visit as an opportunity for the University to reflect on both its progress and its ongoing challenges.

Emphasising the importance of purposeful scholarship, Dube-Ncube posed questions pertinent to the sector, such as: “Who are you teaching? We need to be doing research into who we are researching for and for what?” She further noted that government funding needed to be aligned with measurable impact, adding: “Money is given to universities for what? Just because they need money or because they are pushing the boundaries through STEM subjects and innovation?”

Highlighting the need for universities to contribute meaningfully to regional economic growth, she stressed the importance of digital transformation, the green economy and entrepreneurship within the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system.

Dube-Ncube also underscored the importance of institutional stability, noting that instability within universities could not be normalised. “We are supposed to be the ones who provide solutions for the country. It can’t be that at this stage we are still struggling to provide solutions to some of the challenges,” she said.

She called for ethical and decisive leadership, transparent governance processes, constructive labour relations and effective risk management as key drivers of progress within the Higher Education sector.

Addressing student engagement, Dube-Ncube emphasised the importance of proactive collaboration between institutional leadership and student bodies. “We can’t meet only when there are problems. Let’s meet even if it’s just to say hello and goodbye… we are all part of the solution,” she said, encouraging student leadership to take responsibility for shaping institutional environments.

Infrastructure development and innovation also featured prominently in discussions, with Dube-Ncube urging the University to explore partnerships involving industry through innovation hubs and business incubation spaces. “We might want start-up companies to be based inside the campus so that we do direct research and collaboration with those companies,” she suggested.

She concluded by reaffirming the Department’s commitment to collaborative engagement with institutions across the country, noting that the development of an enhanced oversight model would ensure that national policies were informed by the lived realities of universities on the ground.

“We can’t be sitting in Pretoria while you are facing challenges here. We must work to the plan together if we are to be successful,” she said.

The visit formed part of a broader national initiative aimed at strengthening institutional stability, fostering innovation and ensuring that universities remain responsive to the developmental needs of South Africa.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini