Too few BCM residents study beyond matric

Only 17% of Buffalo City residents have studied beyond matric – the worst finding of all eight metros in the country – a report compiled the South African Cities Network said.

SACN chief executive officer Sithole Mbanga presented the report to BCM and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro officials yesterday at the Industrial Development Zone.

Better off with post matric studies were the city of Johannesburg at 29%; Ekurhuleni (24.3%); Ethekwini (24.1%); Tshwane (24%) and Msunduzi (21%).

The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (19.7%) and City of Cape Town (19.9%) are almost tied, while in Mangaung only 18.4% of the population studied further than matric.

Mbanga said cities needed to work with education institutions to improve the quality of education and infrastructure development.

“Only about 17% of the BCM population has education beyond matric level.

“Cities should not fall into the trap of thinking that education should only belong to the ... Department of Education.

“This coming council has to make education one of its priorities.

“In the current context where growth is associated with innovation and where innovation is a function of education, it means the more of your citizens that are less educated the less innovative they will become.”

BCM has three tertiary institutions – Fort Hare University, Walter Sisulu, and Buffalo City College.

“BCM should use the strength it has and use its infrastructure to make sure that the education institutions become competitive so as to produce the type of population that makes us competitive,” said Mbanga.

Rhodes University lecturer Dr Nomalanga Mkhize echoed Mbanga’s sentiments about the importance of the involvement of municipalities in improving the quality of education.

“One of the key things that cities must ask themselves is what the role of the educational infrastructure in the city is.

“I know that this is Angie’s and Blade’s infrastructure, but the city itself, in terms of this framework, is the site of production, economy and the geographic area where future citizens will get their training,” Mkhize said.

The report, which looks into issues like city finance, infrastructure and social fabric, also revealed that:

lA trolly of goods in 2008 cost R78.80 in BCM. The price grew to R92 in 2011 and the latest statistics reveal that the cost was R110.20 for the same items in 2014;

lHouseholds with access to flushing toilets increased from 88.6% in 2010 to 91.1% in 2013; and

lHousehold income increased from R39917 in 2001, to 97554 in 2011 while the national household income stood at R103204 the same year.

In terms of mode of transportation the data also reveals that the majority of people use taxis or private vehicles to move around the city.

The city also has the highest percentage of people who walk compared with other cities.

Adding to the need to accelerate development in the two Eastern Cape metros, Mbanga said city leaders needed to apply their minds before implementing any decisions.

“Without cities South Africa would not reach the levels of development it has reached.

“Development does not start with the provincial government.

“Rather, it starts with the local government, and leaders must think before they act,” he said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za