Further delays for CAS bid

AFTER Gloria Sekwena died at the University of Johannesburg’s gates in 2012, thenhigher education and training minister Blade Nzimande vowed that a seamless varsity-placement system would come in within three years.

But in a shocking turn of events, it has emerged that the system, called the Central Application Service (CAS), is earmarked to start operating only in 2024. The finalised policy has been published in the latest Government Gazette, resurrecting the hope that CAS would soon kick in.

The “one application, one fee” system would allow matrics to apply to all 26 universities in the country with one payment. The government first identified such a system in 2002 to give access to students from poor backgrounds. The late Kader Asmal, as education minister, announced plans for it the same year.

Reacting to Sekwena’s death in a stampede, Nzimande unveiled new plans for CAS. Nzimande promised the system would be “developed during 2013, for piloting in 2014 and implementation in 2015”.

The department’s 2012 annual performance plan repeated these targets, saying the “service should be fully operational in 2014/2015”.

Sekwena, 47, a psychiatric nurse from England, had queued with thousands to help her son find placement. Five years since, CAS is still in the pipeline. In 2015, the department shifted the target to 2017 for implementation in 2018.

Higher Education and Training spokesperson Madikwe Mabotha said the goalposts had been shifted again. “It should be noted that the next step is the creation of the bill (currently in draft form), which needs to be taken through the parliamentary process and then the promulgation of the act, before CAS can be implemented.

“Depending on Parliament’s legislation programme, we anticipate to have completed this exercise by 2022,” he said.

“In terms of our project plan, we anticipate the system to be active for testing in 2019 for the 2020 applications and for it to be phased in across the post-school education and training system by 2024 for the 2025 applications.”

Universities and colleges in KwaZulu-Natal have been using a similar system for years. Applicants there pay R200. In other provinces, institutions handle applications individually, each charging non-refundable fees ranging from R100 to R300.

Wits University has received about 72 000 applications for next year, while it has place for only 5 600 first-year students.

Student leaders have lambasted the department for delaying CAS. “Blade has been talking about this thing ever since he came into office (in 2009). “In South Africa we have a problem generally, everything takes forever,” said Avela Mjajubana, president of the National Union of SA Students.

Thabo Moloja, president of the SA Students Congress, said: “This is unacceptable and inconsistent with what the ANC and the department have said. I don’t know if the new minister (Hlengiwe Mkhize) is speaking based on the policies of the ANC.”

Mabotha said: “The criticism, if looked at in isolation, seems legitimate. However, it must be understood that the consultative process towards implementing CAS has been a thorough and detailed one.”

Ahmed Bawa, chief executive of Universities SA – an umbrella body of the universities – said institutions had come to embrace the system, although they would lose the income from applications.

“After much deliberation and discussion, the universities have welcomed CAS. It follows on a successful model in KZN, which has been working for several years.

“If the system works efficiently, it will provide a wonderful facility to students and universities and be cost effective for students,” he said.