Isithombe 1: UDkt Nomusa Dube-Ncube kanye noNksz Shirley Chetty-Mahabeer, oyisikhulu esiphezulu esibhekele ezabasebenzi kwa-Aberdare Cables, bembula uqwembe lwesikhumbuzo lwe-AberTech LAN.
Isithombe 2: Ilabhorathri yamakhompyutha i-AberTech LAN esanda kulungiswa yathuthukiswa.
SHEILA MHLONGO
INyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) ivule ngokusemthethweni ilabhorathri yayo yamakhompyutha i-AberTech LAN, esanda kulungiswa yathuthukiswa ngemali engu-R2.2 million, ngenhloso yokuthuthukisa izinga lemfundo yabafundi abafundela ubunjiniyela.
Le mali itshalwe yinkampani i-Aberdare Cables, ngokubambisana ne-UKZN Foundation, ukuze abafundi bathole amathuluzi ezobuchwepheshe besimanje azobasiza ezifundweni zabo nasekulungiseleleni ukungena emkhakheni wezobunjiniyela.
Lesi sikhungo esithuthukisiwe sesikwazi ukuhlalisa abafundi abangu-163 ngesikhathi esisodwa, uma kuqhathaniswa nabangu-98 ebesibahlalisa phambilini.
Ilabhorathri inamakhompyutha nobuchwepheshe besimanje obusetshenziswa ekudwebeni amapulani ngobuchwepheshe bamakhompyutha, ekwakheni imiklamo yobunjiniyela, ekwenzeni izibonelo zemiklamo ngobuchwepheshe bedijithali kanye nasekusebenziseni izinhlelo ezikhethekile zamakhompyutha ezidingekayo emkhakheni wobunjiniyela.
UDube-Ncube ugcizelela ukubaluleka kobuchwepheshe besimanje kwezemfundo
Phakathi kwezikhulu ebezihambele umcimbi wokuvulwa kwalesi sikhungo kubalwa nePhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezemfundo Ephakeme Nokuqeqeshwa, uDkt Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
UDube-Ncube ukwamukele ukuthuthukiswa kwalesi sikhungo, wathi kubalulekile ukuthi abafundi basebenzise ubuchwepheshe besimanje ukuze bathole amakhono ahambisana nezidingo zemakethe yezemisebenzi.
“Umfundi ofunda esebenzisa imishini ephelelwe yisikhathi usengcupheni yokuphothula izifundo enamakhono angasahambisani nesikhathi samanje. Kodwa umfundi osebenzisa ubuchwepheshe besimanje ekwakheni imiklamo, ekuhloleni ukusebenza kwezinhlelo nasekubhaleni izinhlelo zamakhompyutha, ungena emsebenzini esekulungele ukufaka isandla kusukela ngosuku lokuqala,” kusho uDube-Ncube.
Uphinde wanxusa inkampani i-Aberdare Cables kanye noMnyango Wezobunjiniyela e-UKZN ukuba baqinise ukubambisana ngokwakha amathuba okuqeqeshwa kwabafundi ezindaweni zokusebenza, ukufundela umsebenzi kanye nokuthola ulwazi olusebenzayo ezimbonini.
“Uhlelo lwethu lokusebenza lonyaka wezimali ka-2026/27 luzibophezele ekwandiseni amathuba okufunda, ukuthuthukisa izinga lemfundo kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izikhungo zethu ziyakwazi ukubhekana nezidingo zomnotho. Ukubambisana okufana nalokhu kusiza ekufezeni lezo zinhloso,” kusho yena.
Isikhungo sesikhulise amathuba okufunda kwabafundi
IPhini likaSekela-Shansela kanye neNhloko yeKholeji Lezolimo, Ubunjiniyela Nesayensi e-UKZN, uSolwazi Fhatuwani Mudau, uthe lesi sikhungo saqala sisetshenziswa ukufundisa ukudwetshwa kwamapulani obunjiniyela, ngaphambi kokuba siguqulwe sibe ilabhorathri yamakhompyutha ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1990.
“Kusukela ngo-1993, lesi sikhungo sesisize izizukulwane zabafundi bezobunjiniyela ukuthola ulwazi namakhono adingekayo ukuze bangene emisebenzini yabo.
“Namuhla lowo mlando uyaqhubeka ngokuthi lesi sikhungo sesithuthukiswe kakhulu. Sesinendawo yokufundela yesimanje ekhuthaza ukusebenzisana kwabafundi, kanti sesikwazi ukuhlalisa abafundi abangu-163 esikhundleni sabangu-98,” kusho uMudau.
Uthe lokhu kubalulekile njengoba inani labafundi liqhubeka nokukhula, kanjalo nezidingo zemfundo yezobunjiniyela zishintsha ngenxa yokuthuthuka kobuchwepheshe.
USolwazi Glen Snedden, ongumholi wezemfundo emkhakheni wobunjiniyela bemishini e-UKZN, uthe ukuthuthukiswa kwalesi sikhungo kuwutshalomali olubalulekile ekusaseni lemfundo yezobunjiniyela.
“Lesi sikhungo sidlala indima enkulu ekuqeqesheni bonke abafundi bezobunjiniyela, ngokubanikeza amakhono abalulekile okudweba, okuklama kanye nokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bedijithali.
“Ukulungiswa kwaso sekudale indawo yokufundela yesimanje, ekahle futhi ehambisana nezidingo zokufundisa kanye nokwanda kwenani labafundi,” kusho uSnedden.
Uqhube wathi ubunjiniyela banamuhla buncike kakhulu emathuluzini edijithali nasezinhlelweni zamakhompyutha ezisezingeni eliphezulu.
Ngokusho kwakhe, lesi sikhungo asigcini ngokufundisa ukudweba nokuklama kuphela, kodwa siphinde sisize abafundi ukuba bafunde ukusebenzisa izinhlelo ezikhethekile ezisetshenziswa onjiniyela nsuku zonke ezimbonini.
Lokhu kuzosiza ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abafundi baphothula izifundo benamakhono asebenzayo nolwazi lobuchwepheshe oludingekayo emhlabeni oqhubeka nokusebenzisa izinhlelo zedijithali.
I-Aberdare Cables itshala imali ekusaseni lentsha
Ukutshalwa kwale mali yinkampani i-Aberdare Cables kuyingxenye yokuzibophezela kwayo ekuthuthukiseni amakhono entsha yakuleli emkhakheni wobunjiniyela nasekuqiniseni ubudlelwano bayo ne-UKZN.
Le nkampani isivele ixhasa abafundi abafundela ubunjiniyela kanye nobuchwepheshe bolwazi nezokuxhumana (ICT) ngoxhaso lwezifundo.
Manje ibona i-AberTech LAN njengendawo ezovulela abafundi amathuba okusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe obusezingeni eliphezulu, ukwenza ucwaningo ngokubambisana, ukwakha imiklamo yobunjiniyela nokuthuthukisa amaphrojekthi.
Lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali kuphinde kusekele izinhloso zenkampani zokuthuthukisa umphakathi nomnotho ngokuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda yezemfundo esifundazweni esibalulekile emikhakheni yezokukhiqiza nobunjiniyela eNingizimu Afrika.
Isikhulu Esiphezulu se-Aberdare Cables, uMnuz Ken Wang, sithe ukubambisana phakathi kwezinkampani nezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme kubalulekile ekulungiseleleni abafundi ukubhekana nezidingo zezindawo zokusebenza zesimanje.
“Ukutshalwa kwemali kwethu e-AberTech LAN e-UKZN kukhombisa inkolelo eqinile ye-Aberdare Cables yokuthi ikusasa lezimboni nobunjiniyela baseNingizimu Afrika lisezandleni zentsha yethu.
“Ngokuhlinzeka ngengqalasizinda esezingeni lomhlaba, asigcini ngokuthuthukisa ilabhorathri yamakhompyutha kuphela, kodwa sinikeza isizukulwane esilandelayo sonjiniyela amathuluzi, ubuchwepheshe kanye nendawo abayidingayo ukuze basungule izinto ezintsha, baxazulule izinkinga eziyinkimbinkimbi emkhakheni wezamandla futhi bahole imboni yethu iye phambili,” kusho uWang.
Kuzovuleka namathuba okuqeqeshwa nokucwaninga
Ukuthuthukiswa kwalesi sikhungo kuphinde kwabeka isisekelo sokubambisana kwesikhathi eside phakathi kwe-Aberdare Cables ne-UKZN.
Ezinye zezindawo okulindeleke ukuthi lezi zinhlaka zibambisane kuzo zihlanganisa ucwaningo ngokusatshalaliswa kukagesi, isayensi yezinto ezisetshenziswa ekukhiqizeni kanye nobunye ubuchwepheshe bobunjiniyela.
Kuphinde kubhekwe amathuba okuthi ochwepheshe bezimboni baqondise futhi beluleke abafundi, bethule izifundo ezikhethekile, baqhube imihlangano yokufundisa amakhono ezobuchwepheshe, kanye nokuthi abafundi bavakashele izimboni ukuze bazibonele indlela umsebenzi owenziwa ngayo.
Lezi zinhlelo zingasiza abafundi ukuba baqonde kangcono amazinga okusebenza ezimbonini, ubuchwepheshe obusha kanye nezinselelo onjiniyela ababhekana nazo emisebenzini yangempela.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-Aberdare Cables izothola ithuba lokusebenzisana nentsha enamakhono asafufusa, iphinde izuze olwazini locwaningo olwenziwa yi-UKZN.
I-UKZN Foundation ibonga ukubambisana kwezikhungo
UMqondisi Omkhulu we-UKZN Foundation, uMnuz Steve Camp, uthe le phrojekthi ikhombisa imiphumela emihle engatholakala lapho izinkampani, izinhlangano ezixhasa ngezimali kanye nezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zisebenzisana.
“Ukulungiswa kwe-AberTech LAN kukhombisa lokho okungenzeka uma izimboni, abaxhasi kanye nenyuvesi besebenzisana ngenhloso eyodwa.
“Lokhu kutshalwa kwemali engu-R2.2 million kuthuthukisa ngqo indawo yokufundela yabafundi bethu bezobunjiniyela, futhi kusiza ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bayakwazi ukuthola ubuchwepheshe nezinsiza abazidingayo ukuze baphumelele,” kusho uCamp.
Umcimbi wokuvulwa kwalesi sikhungo ubuhlanganisa ukusikwa kweribhoni ngokusemthethweni kanye nokuvakashelwa kwelabhorathri esanda kuthuthukiswa.
IZINCAZELO ZEZITHOMBE
Isithombe 1: Kusukela kwesokunxele, ngokulandelana okujikeleza njengewashi: Isikhulu esiphezulu esibhekele ezabasebenzi kwa-Aberdare Cables, uNksz Shirley Chetty-Mahabeer; uSolwazi Glen Snedden; uSolwazi Fhatuwani Mudau; uMqondisi Omkhulu Wezobudlelwano Nezinhlaka Zangaphandle, uDkt Normah Zondo; kanye nePhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezemfundo Ephakeme Nokuqeqeshwa, uDkt Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
Isithombe 2: UDkt Nomusa Dube-Ncube kanye noNksz Shirley Chetty-Mahabeer, oyisikhulu esiphezulu esibhekele ezabasebenzi kwa-Aberdare Cables, bembula uqwembe lwesikhumbuzo lwe-AberTech LAN.
Isithombe 3: Ilabhorathri yamakhompyutha i-AberTech LAN esanda kulungiswa yathuthukiswa.
Umthombo: Uphiko Lwezobudlelwano Nezinhlaka Zangaphandle (Corporate Relations Division), University of KwaZulu-Natal.
