The pressure that AfriForum Youth has applied on the Grootfontein Agricultural College in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape in reaction to the poor living conditions and general facilities at the College have compelled the Management to release about R10 million for repairs and upgrades.
This follows after problems that were not addressed by Management despite various requests, compelling AfriForum Youth to take further steps to emphasise the seriousness of these problems. A complaint was also filed at the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) over the misrepresentation on the College’s website of some of the activities and facilities that the College offers.
“AfriForum Youth will remain actively involved to ensure that the funds now made available are utilised correctly,” says Marike van As, AfriForum Youth’s Coordinator for Kovsies and Grootfontein.
“Although we welcome the release of these funds, the students are still prepared to assist in the repairs and lean-up with what we have available. We want to make a sustainable contribution from our side in making the College a place of which we can be proud,” says Jan-Hendrik Goosen, Chairperson of AfriForum Youth’s Grootfontein branch.
AfriForum is in the process of providing this youth branch with their own edge cutter and general tools to enable the students to do maintenance work when necessary.