Hundreds of Students to Benefit from Masakh'isizwe Bursary Scheme in 2014

The Masakh’iSizwe (Let’s Build the Nation) Centre of Excellence, established by the Department of Transport and Public Works in 2006, has grown from strength to strength over the years. Hundreds of tertiary students have been afforded the opportunity to pursue degrees or higher diplomas in the disciplines of:

• Architecture
• Construction Management
• Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering
• Quantity Surveying
• Town and Regional Planning

“Masakh’iSizwe is now the finest Built Environment bursary scheme in the country. Our students outperform the university average in every way. They have fewer failures, graduate sooner and with better results than their peers. Masakh’iSizwe is much more than a bursary scheme; it is a joint venture between the Department, the private sector partners, and the three universities (University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and Cape Peninsula university of Technology) which ensures that our bursars are prepared in every way for the leadership, skill and responsibilities that lie ahead of them,” said Minister Carlisle.

There were 77 graduates last year, and a total of 256 bursaries awarded this year.

The support from our partners has been key to the success of the bursary scheme. They not only offer capital contributions to the bursary, but they also provide internships for our bursars to continue their training. The Bursary Collaboration Venture (BCV) partners and departmental contributions tabled below:

“We have a serious shortage in skills in the built environment across the country, with the trained professionals fast approaching retirement age. It is critical that we continue to invest in these essential skills needed in the built environment. We remain committed to nurturing young talent and ensuring that opportunities are available to those looking to further their careers in the built environment.

"The overall levels of our bursars’ academic results show that close to 80% perform satisfactorily. Masakh’iSizwe provides support to these bursars both during, and after their studies, to ensure that they perform optimally, and are subsequently employed in their chosen fields. Some of those graduates have received placement within the department, where they have continued to grow and excel. Two of those bursars are Ernest Mahlangu and Mustapha Subailey:

“Typical of the type of talent that we are always looking for is Ernest Mahlangu. After having completed his BSc Architecture, Ernest received a Masakh’iSizwe bursary to study honours and Maters in Architecture at UCT in 2008. He has since completed both degrees and worked both for the department (under the Education Facilities directorate of our Public Works branch) as well as for the private sector architecture firm, Meyer and Vorster Architects. He is currently, under the guidance of the Masakh’iSizwe professional development programme, nearing the completion of a two year South African Council of Architectural Profession (SACAP) training programme.

“Mr Subailey, a husband and a father of two, is another recipient of the bursary. With the financial burden of tertiary education lifted by the bursary, he was able to dedicate all his efforts to his studies and excelled. He is currently employed by the department as a candidate technician, and receiving the necessary support from our professional development team; assisting him to professionally register with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

“We are very proud of the dedication and performance of our bursars. The department will continue to support them in their chosen careers in the built environment, and assist them to use these opportunities to live lives that they value,” added Carlisle.