Funding model for University of Policing and Crime Detection under development - Nkabane

THE Department of Higher Education is currently developing a funding model for the long promised University of Policing and Crime Detection after the ambitious initiative has seen little progress since its announcement five years ago.

The establishment of the crime detection university, aimed at bolstering the capabilities of the South African Police Service, was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his 2020 State of the Nation Address, where he highlighted its potential to enhance the quality of policing and specialised crime investigation in the country.

Responding to parliamentary questions from Rise Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi and EFF MP Mandla Shikwambana, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane revealed that only feasibility studies have been conducted thus far.

Both Zibi and Shikwambana asked Nkabane about the commencement of the construction and the scheduled completion date as well as timeframes and milestones of the period over which the project will be undertaken.

They also asked about the total amount that has been spent on the project to date.

“The project has not commenced save for the feasibility studies that have been completed,” Nkabane stated.

She also said the completion date will be determined by the success of the funding proposal.

Nkabane said the proposed university’s intake of students in the first ten years was expected to be nearly 3000.

“Initial financial forecast targets that the institution (is expected) to grow to approximately 2 700 students over the first ten years. However, the long-term plan is to grow it to 10 000 students,” she said.

Last year, former minister Blade Nzimande said Hammanskraal was considered as the location for the planned university because there is already an existing police college.

“The university can be established on the back of that college instead of starting it completely from scratch. The intention of the department was to further develop the facility and academic offerings to capitalise on the existing infrastructure on the facility,” Nzimande said at the time.

He had also said the second phase of technical planning studies on the university focused on detailed technical, geospatial, campus infrastructure, ICT, equipment, staffing and student support services costs.

There was to have been a detailed audit of the qualifications, expertise, and capacity of existing staff at the Hammanskraal police academy to determine skills gaps and requirements for the new higher education institutions and developing a talent acquisition model, among other things.

Cape Times