More Univen students will have access to computers and the Internet. This was made possible through a major donation from a well-known petroleum company, PetroSA, when they handed over a computer laboratory worth R548 000 to the University of Venda.

The hand-over took place at the university´s library last week. When handing over the laboratory, Ms Rima Tshishonga of PetroSA said her company had an important role to play in the development of the country and one way they had chosen to focus on was education.

She said they recognised students as the nation´s assets who should be assisted and developed by her company. She said the contribution formed part of the company´s corporate social investment programme focusing on health, education and training, environment and community development, both in the immediate area of its operations, the communities from which many of its employees originated, and the South African community at large.

"Our corporate social investment programme is already being felt throughout the Republic of South Africa, particularly in institutions of higher learning and communities, and we will continue assisting with resources and facilities wherever possible," she said.

She added that it was disturbing to note that, in this age, a university like Univen did not have a computer laboratory. "How are the students coping with their projects?" she asked. She said computers have become part of people’s daily lives and that they have been introduced to kids at pre-schools. "A click of the mouse opens the whole world to all who use computers and we would like to urge students and the community to take full advantage of the resources available to them; make the best use of them to broaden their knowledge in order to realise their dreams," she said.

The director of library services, Ms Mushoni Mulaudzi, said the donation came at a time when more information was needed to supplement what they had in their library. "We have books, DVDs and CDs, but this information is never enough and the donation will go a long way in giving our students access to information through the Internet," she said.

She added that the donation would help them meet their mission of providing comprehensive information service to students, staff and the community outside the campus. "The donation by PetroSA will indeed make a difference, especially to undergraduates who, for a long time, have been deprived of direct access to the Internet and to the library´s electronic resources," she said.

Acknowledging the donation, the newly appointed principal of the university, Prof Peter Mbati, said the donation could not have come at a better time. According to him, a library is a critical resource for human capital development and knowledge generation which forms an integral part of the university. "A well-resourced library is a powerful engine in accelerating national growth and development strategies, such as the ten-year Innovation Plan to help drive South Africa´s transformation from a resource-based economy towards a knowledge-based economy in which the production and dissemination of knowledge leads to economic benefits and enriches all fields of human endeavour," he said.

According to him, the university needs partners to meet the resource challenges as many of their students cannot meet their financial obligations because of their poor backgrounds. Having donated funds towards the computer laboratory, PetroSA "has emerged as an important partner for our university. The donation will make it possible for more students to undergo advanced information literacy training and independently access the Internet and the library´s electronic information resources and improve the student-computer ratio," he said.