The foundations laid at the negotiations that produced the Interim Constitution of 1993 were consolidated through the work of the Constitutional Assembly that acted as a key platform to mediate and synthesise views of the citizenry on their visions and aspirations for a new democratic South Africa.
This great and legitimate work, characterised by mass participation, produced what is celebrated by many as one of the greatest constitutions in the world – the 1996 South African Constitution. This was made possible by a combination of factors including grassroots participation, dialogues, negotiations, peaceful protests and written submissions by individuals, groups and different organisations.
Nelson Mandela University is inspired by this example and has committed to continuously work closely with students, through constant consultation and engagement.
As a student centred university working collaboratively with the student leadership, we want to continue to improve the experience of our students. There has been encouraging improvements in NSFAS, admissions and registration processes, and in the rollout of laptops to the first year qualifying students, to just name the few.
We are addressing, in the spirit of co-creation, challenges around shuttle services and the quality of the experience of our students with regards to off-campus accommodation and some existential challenges in other areas. Therefore, the student leadership, as they always do, are engaging the university through innovatively proposing solutions to deal with some of these issues notwithstanding that others like student accommodation, are structural and systemic challenges that require joined up resolution with our government and other role players.
We therefore enjoin everyone to develop a strong appetite to engage and embrace the contestation of different ideas in order to arrive at the wisest solutions. After all, the university is an intellectual space that promotes the contending of schools of thought.
The national project of democracy, social cohesion, transformative change and the decolonised and African centred education is on-going and requires resilient partnerships. This can only be achieved if we are all committed to sustained strategic conversations. It is through these conversations that we will be able to creatively find solutions that will continue to place our university’s transformation journey on a bold new trajectory.
I enjoin our students and the broader student leadership to continue to exercise qualitative agency, adaptive leadership, entangle themselves in theory and practice and have a huge appetite for multiple perspectives, as these are hallmarks for abiding engagements and partnerships.