Midlands Region collaborates with municipalities to enhance student support

From left to right: Letitia Lekay, Manager: Library Services; Keeletsang Tsaoka, Librarian; Angie Bopape, Deputy Director: Academic and Technology Support; Khumo Nyembe, Director: Community Services Mahikeng local municipality; Tshireletso Qelesile, Mahikeng Regional Office Coordinator; Lorato Serurubele, Librarian and Mzwabantu Mbunge, Head Librarian: Mahikeng Municipal Libraries

Unisa Midlands region, in collaboration with the Sol Plaatjie Municipality in Kimberley and Mahikeng Municipal libraries, has recently signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The partnership's objective is for the municipality to allow access to Unisa students to request library resource material, online and printed, and to collect the requested resource material from the public libraries and return the material.

From left to right: Angie Bopape, Deputy Director: Academic and Technology Support; Khumo Nyembe, Director: Community Services Mahikeng local municipality and Letitia Lekay, Manager: Library Services, during the signing of MoU at Mmabatho Public Library

The region regarded it as necessary and strategically important to establish partnerships with identified municipalities to provide quality service to students. The collaborations will offer students access to any of the libraries in the Mahikeng Municipal area, among which are Barolong, Ottoshop, Six Hundred, Danville, Lomanyaneng, Miqa, Mahikeng and the Kimberley public library in the Sol Plaatjie Municipal area. This initiative will benefit students who cannot visit Unisa regional service centres and libraries.

Kgosiebonya Bogacwi, Executive Director: Community and Social Development Services, showed excitement about the initiative; and appreciated the training provided to public librarians to equip them to assist the students appropriately. Bogacwi emphasised the importance of continuous communication between the parties as they started the partnership.

Letitia Lekay, Manager of Library Services, expressed excitement about the partnership journey with the municipalities, as it is an important initiative to enhance service delivery for Unisa students in the region. The signing of the memorandum of understanding was acclaimed as a joyous and strategic initiative, as it will positively impact students' lives and learning experiences in remote areas. Lekay said that the region would be working on other great collaborations to improve the region's service delivery to students

*By Thotogelo Masenya, Communication and Marketing Officer, Midlands Region