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Deputy Minister launches R2.2 million upgraded UKZN engineering lab

Published

Deputy Higher Education Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube opened the upgraded AberTech LAN computer laboratory at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's School of Engineering. The lab now seats 163 students, up from 80, and has 175 new network access points.

Aberdare Cables paid for the upgrade. Dube-Ncube said government cannot do this alone and that partnerships like this one turn commitments into reality. She said: "A student who learns on outdated machines risks graduating with outdated skills."

Dube-Ncube said students should protect the facility against vandalism and theft. She also said the university should set a clear maintenance plan and a budget for software licences and equipment renewal.

She also spoke about tensions around Student Representative Council elections, including an incident at Westville Campus where staff were injured. She said violence against staff is unacceptable. Disputes, she said, must be settled through university rules, appeal processes, dialogue and the law.

Key facts

Who
Nomusa Dube-Ncube (Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training); Cyril Ramaphosa (President of South Africa (referenced for 2026 State of the Nation Address)); Aberdare Cables (investor in the upgraded laboratory); University of KwaZulu-Natal (host institution; School of Engineering upgraded the computer laboratory)
What
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube officially launched the upgraded AberTech LAN computer laboratory at UKZN's School of Engineering, funded by a R2.2 million investment from Aberdare Cables. She also called for peaceful resolution of disputes after tensions around Student Representative Council elections, including an incident at Westville Campus where staff…
When
21 October 2026
Where
KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, South Africa
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way at 23,696 stations, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a smooth start on 4 November. Stations opened at 7am and close at 9pm, and by 10am preliminary figures showed 3,523,691 voters had cast ballots.

There were problems: unused ballot papers were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School near Durban, police opened a case, and the IEC relieved the station staff of duty. Some voters in Tshwane said they were turned away for wearing party shirts, but the IEC denied this and said only mayoral candidates' entourages were barred.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told members not to query the results or discredit the IEC, while the IEC said false online claims show routine procedures as fraud.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won back both the US House and Senate in the midterm elections held on 3 November, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters were angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and rebuked President Donald Trump.

Before the vote, US forces struck targets on Qeshm Island in Iran, while Republicans struggled to defend the war against Iran on the campaign trail. Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war, and Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

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AI Cooling

What you need to know

Nvidia has told its cloud computing clients to sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, according to five people with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic said it has committed to spend close to $900bn on AI infrastructure, and that its computing costs are rising faster than its revenues.

Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

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