Maties Rector speaker at launch of community action in Swellendam

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), Prof Russel Botman, will be speaking at two functions in Swellendam this weekend. On Friday evening (29 July), he will be speaking at a dinner of the Swellendam Bursary Fund and, on Saturday morning (30 July), he will be the main speaker at the launch of the Railton/Swellendam Community Action Partnership (RAICAP) in the Thusong Centre in Railton.

Railton is a poor residential area that, as a result of the Group Areas Act, developed into a home for about 20 000 people, mainly the brown residents of the town.

“The rural areas of South Africa are extremely important, since 46% of our population finds itself there – and yet these country districts are still treated as the runt of the litter when it comes to development. Stellenbosch University has therefore made a rural focus part of all three its core activities – research, teaching and learning as well as community interaction. And Swellendam is one of the towns where we’re addressing development needs,” says Prof Botman.

SU has a special relationship with the community of Swellendam and Railton via the Railton Community Assessment Project (CAP). This initiative was launched in 2009 as a joint undertaking between the Railton Foundation in the Netherlands (an overseas organisation dedicated to the development of Railton) and SU to research the needs and resources of the community and make recommendations for the future development of the town.

CAP was completed in November 2010 with the publication of a research report containing various recommendations, among which was better connections between existing community structures.

Prof Botman adds that rural development is part of SU’s HOPE Project, a strategic initiative through which the University applies its academic excellence and proven expertise in the search of solutions to serious problems in society.

“In the long term, SU wants to establish comprehensive rural development platforms in Swellendam and elsewhere in rural areas from which it can offer communities a variety of services. Our rural involvement also offers our students the opportunity to prepare for the realities of our country and our researchers the space to focus on problems that are specific to rural areas. This enriches academia and, at the same time, addresses local needs. This is where the future of rural empowerment lies – in mutual partnerships that work for the benefit of human development,” says Prof Botman.

RAICAP launch function

Dr Jerome Slamat, Senior Director: Community Interaction at SU, says that RAICAP aims to act on the CAP recommendations. “SU will make its contribution as a knowledge partner in conjunction with other partners, who will pool their relevant expertise to make a success of RAICAP.”

One of the ways in which SU will be involved as a knowledge partner will be via the development of a youth leadership project. This is currently being prepared by the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development, an initiative that forms part of SU’s HOPE Project.

Mr Thomas van der Ven, President of the Railton Foundation in the Netherlands, and the new mayor of Swellendam, Mr Nicholas Myburgh, will also be attending the function.

The Railton Foundation has been involved in the Railton/Swellendam community for four years, financially supporting various deserving projects. These include Swellendam TV, a project that provides young people with training in television work, an AIDS project and the Progress Christmas choir, which is teaching 75 young people to play musical instruments and which is now also going to start a marimba orchestra.

• Access the research report here.
• Contact Mr Basil May at 021 951 4915 or 084 583 3811 for more information.
• The RAICAP launch function will be held in the Thusong Centre, Railton, and will start at 10:00.

Swellendam Bursary Fund banquet

The Swellendam Bursary Fund was established on 25 October 2005 in honour of the 28 teachers and learners who died in a bus tragedy on 25 October 1975, 30 years ago. The fund supports between 30 and 35 students annually to further their education. Some of the graduates are ploughing their knowledge back through various community structures, such as local schools, the municipality and the tourism office.

“The problem of the ‘lost generation’ in South Africa is still with us – young people who, because of poor education opportunities, cannot make headway. The Swellendam Bursary Fund is a way of helping these youngsters. And even the smallest donation makes a difference. So we encourage everyone to invest in our future in this way,” says Prof Botman.

• Contact Mr Basil May at 021 951 4915 or 084 583 3811 for more information.
• The Bursary Fund banquet will be held on Wildebraam, Swellendam, and will start at 19:00.