Students query joint library

While the multi-million-rand joint university library between the University of South Africa, University of Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu University is set to open shortly, the student representative council at Unisa has called for an independent investigation into the project.

SRC president at Unisa in the Eastern Cape, Mawande Naki, claims students were not consulted over the project and were concerned the library might not cater for the “uniqueness” of each university.

The mega-library, costing R200-million for thousands of Eastern Cape students from the three universities with campuses in East London, is set to open at the start of the second semester in July.

Unisa contributed R50-million, UFH R30-million and WSU R20-million, with the other R100-million from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

The four-storey building situated at the intersection of Oxford and Church streets, and through to Hill Street in the vicinity of the East London Magistrate’s Court, will house a multi-media centre, book collections, e-resources and administrative offices to be accessed by 18000 students.

Speaking to the Dispatch last week, Naki raised a number of issues the students had with the library.

“For example, Unisa is an Open Distance e-Learning where most modules are studied online, and to achieve this we will need more computers because we do not have any option of direct contact as students. ICT issues are key so that we don’t have WiFi and or connection challenges,” said Naki.

There were also concerns that student accommodation protests would affect Unisa students, he said.

Naki said also questioned why UFH was made the custodian of the library and what had informed the different amounts of contributions made. According to the memorandum of understanding signed between the three universities, the land where the library is constructed on, was owned by UFH.

“Why must Unisa contribute R50-million for an asset of UFH, we should have built our libraries in Mthatha and Port Elizabeth where there are no libraries.

“Actually we need independent investigations on this project, these are public funds,” said Naki.

WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo said: “I cannot comment on the Unisa SRC president’s concerns and allegations.” She said details of the collaboration would be issued at the official opening ceremony.

UFH spokesman Khotso Moabi said it was up to each institution to inform their constituencies on decisions including student bodies.

Moabi said the university felt the call for an independent investigation into the collaborative library was premature.

Unisa’s Eastern Cape region spokeswoman Nontsikelelo Gasa confirmed receiving the questions sent last week, but had not responded by the time of writing yesterday. — arethal@dispatch.co.za