African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) Regional Task Team in the Bojanala Platinum District, has warmly welcomed a North West University’s (NWU) ‘long overdue announcement’ for an establishment of a mining campus in the region in the next two years.
The campus is anticipated to offer specialised programmes designed to enhance the skills and productivity of the local workforce, supporting the region’s key economic driver.
It is also not only expected to enhance educational opportunities for young people but also contribute directly to the growth and efficiency of the mining sector.
The ANCYL Task Team’s regional spokesperson Thabiso Bodigelo told YOU FM Newshour that their patience has finally paid off and their dreams will soon be realised.
“It has been a long time coming.
In 2013 there was a conference (of the ANCYL) and in 2015 that was a resolution for the establishment of the university in this region.
In 2019 there was a march led by the Progressive Youth Alliance to the provincial government calling for the construction of this university.
So, we really want to thank the government and the North West University for answering this clarion call,” said Bodigelo.
The league said that Rustenburg, as a major mining hub, stands to benefit significantly from the university’s expansion into the mining education sector.
“We honestly believe this is a critical step toward addressing unemployment and poverty in the region.
If you check, we have been outsourcing the labour workforce from other regions (in the province) and other provinces.
So, we believe this will address the high youth unemployment and capacitate many of our young people who do not have necessary skills to be employed by many of the mining companies found in this region.
We are hopeful that this campus will really address those socio-economic challenges as well,” Bodigelo added.
