The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) and the Matjhabeng Municipality signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 14 October 2020 at the CUT Welkom Campus. CUT strives to be engaged in solutions and making a meaningful impact through social and technological innovation.

Both the Mayor of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Mr Nkosinjani Speelman, and Municipal Manager of Matjhabeng, Ms Zingisa Tindleni, are CUT alumni, which made the occasion extra special. “This partnership is going to help us with skills development to strengthen the municipality. Our infrastructure is ageing, but we don’t have skills, we need the new generation to tell us how we can deal with that issue, and we need this university to help us achieve this,” said Speelman.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Henk de Jager reiterated the importance of partnerships. “As CUT we are a public university and we are here to serve the people. Our mandate is to produce graduates, research and to produce innovation outputs. But what is the real impact in society? Through empowerment. And that is why this university is partnering with the Matjhabeng Municipality in order to enhance and strengthen our impact in this society,” said Prof. de Jager.

Through the support of the municipality, CUT will be able to meet current on-campus student residence demands and expand its academic programmes by means of construction of new buildings and sports grounds.

Ms Morakane Mothekhe, Senior Manager at Matjhabeng Municipality, added that the MoU marks an important milestone towards the development of the area. “The community has been given a lot of promises and us not achieving or reaching out to them, and now the projects of this mature seek to address exactly that. People see open spaces just as open spaces without knowing how it can revive the economy and help alleviate poverty. We are going to design plans and strategies of maximum utilization of our public open spaces. We are saying come, let us do it together,” said Mothekhe.

Captions

1. Prof. Henk de Jager, CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal and Mr Nkosinjani Speelman, Executive Mayor of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality during the signing.

2. Phakamile Zangwa, Welkom Campus SRC President; Prof. Oupa Makola, Welkom Campus Director; Prof. Henk de Jager, CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal; Mr Nkosinjani Speelman, Mayor of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality; Ms Zingisa Tindleni, Matjhabeng Municipal Manager; Ms Morakane Mothekhe, Senior Manager at Matjhabeng Municipality; Mr Tefo Mokgatla, Nehawu Chairperson Welkom Campus; Dr Gary Paul, CUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Resources and Operations.