Association to lobby FET College student interests

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FET College students gathered for the historical launch of a new independent
student body which is mandated to address the challenges facing young
people in these educational facilities.


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Students at Further Education and Training Colleges will be represented by
a new student association.
Charged with the mandate of championing the interests of FET College
students, South African Further Education and Training Student Association
SAFETSA is an independent student association whose establishment was
facilitated by a democratically elected National Task Team that was convened in
February 2013.

At a gathering of the fifty (50) FET College, Student Representative Council (SRC)
members and student support services managers in February 2013, the Minister
of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Dr. Blade Nzimande, highlighted the
need for the urgent formation of a national student association.
This, he noted, was required given the fragmented, unorganised student,
and often unrecognised voice of students in FET Colleges compared to their
counterparts in the Higher Education sector. To this end, between February and
October 2013, the elected nine (9) members of the National Task Team worked
together and within their respective provinces, to advocate for the
establishment of SAFETSA.
The Minister of Higher Education and Training wishes to welcome the
democratic election of a new leadership of SAFETSA, a process ably and
transparently conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission of South
Africa. The following national office bearers were elected:
President - Mr. Mohale Ramosunya (Central Johannesburg FET
College, Gauteng);
Deputy-President - Mr. Yonke Twani (Buffalo City FET College, Eastern
Cape);
National Chairperson - Mr. Thabo Mashitisho (Capricorn FET College,
Limpopo);
Secretary-General - Mr. Banele Mwali (Sedibeng FET College,
Gauteng);
Deputy-Secretary - Ms. Morongwa Ntswane (Mopani FET College,
Limpopo); and
Treasurer - Mr. Kabelo Mokwena (Northern Cape Urban FET College,
Northern Cape)
12 additional members were elected to support the National Executive
Committee. The Minister would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them
on the appointment and salute them for their willingness to serve the South
African Further Education and Training sector.

This NEC has been charged with, among other things, the immediate finalisation
of the Association?s Constitution, Code of Conduct, and Financial Policy; all of
which were presented at provincial task team meetings in the run-up to the
conference and subsequently adopted in draft form at the conference before
elections.

DHET would like to express its gratitude to the Education and Training
Development Practitioners (ETDP) Sector Education and Training Authority of
whom without their generosity the event would not have been possible.
Importantly, this partnership with the ETDP SETA is evidence of the emerging
consensus and synergy across the post-school system in support of the notion
of FET Colleges as institutions of choice.
The Minister wishes to express his willingness to work together with this
body during our long road towards the transformation of FET Colleges into
becoming quality institutions of choice. We also call upon all other stakeholders
in the FET sector to work together with SAFETSA as the voice of FET College
students.

We hope SAFETSA will take its responsibilities seriously to ensure that we all
build a stable, functional and quality FET College sector that is able to respond
to the skills needs in our country.
The South African Further Education and Training Student Association
(SAFETSA) was launched (11 to 13 October 2013) in Durban KwaZulu-Natal.

This statement was issued on behalf of the Department of Higher
Education and Training

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