Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe collaborates with SETAs to positively impact community colleges

The deputy minister of higher education and training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, led a successful Mandela Month outreach event on Wednesday 30 July 2025, at the Eastern CET College, Phakamile Community Learning Centre (CLC), in Kariega.

The event marked the first national Mandela Month outreach organised by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) within the community college sector.

It achieved two key goals by supporting Phakamile CLC with essential refurbishments and increased awareness of the vital role played by community colleges.

“I’ve visited several community colleges, and I've seen the challenges first-hand. I didn’t just read a report, I realised the vital role they play for that young girl who dropped out of school because she fell pregnant or anyone who never finished their matric and wants to acquire skills. Therefore, it was important for us to visit community colleges to raise their profile and inform members of the public that community colleges are a viable pathway to gaining skills and education,” said deputy minister Gondwe.

To support Phakamile CLC, deputy minister Gondwe collaborated with seven Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), including the main partner, the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA. Other SETAs that supported the event include the Services SETA, MerSETA, EW-SETA, HWSETA, SASSETA, and CATHSSETA.

Collectively, the SETAs contributed the following towards the refurbishment of Phakamile CLC: a R100 000 donation to establish an entrepreneurship hub, a commitment to upgrade the wielding workshop, 40L of paint, new ceiling installation, and sanitary towels.

Additional support involved distributing approximately 200 hygiene packs donated by Old Mutual to learners and initiating a sustainable vegetable garden project with seedlings and garden tools donated by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

“All the entities supporting our outreach event are SETAs. During the event, commitments were even made to support the centre with an entrepreneurial hub and to ensure its ceilings and window panes are repaired, and the painting of the centre is completed,” said deputy minister Gondwe.

Working with SETAs and other stakeholders, deputy minister Gondwe is committed to ensuring that community colleges work towards rebranding and become colleges of choice for out-of-school youth and adults.

Enquiries:
Sipho Stuurman
Cell: 076 965 4880
E-mail: Stuurman.S@dhet.gov.za

Fikile Moya
Cell: 082 507 2265 / 084 2000 815
E-mail: Moya.F@dhet.gov.za

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