Ms Mayathula-Khoza – in her first month in office - was accompanied by a delegation from her Department that included officials from the Directorate of Veterinary Services. Apart from the Dean, Prof Gerry Swan, the meeting was also attended by the Deputy Dean, Prof Morkel Terblanche, the Director of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, Dr Henry Annandale, representatives of the Departments of Veterinary Tropical Diseases and Production Animal Studies, and the Head of Marketing and Communication.

In his opening and welcoming message, the Dean, Prof Gerry Swan, provided the delegation with background information and a short overview of the Faculty’s history. He referred to the Faculty’s role within a strategic context as the only Faculty of Veterinary Science in South Africa and emphasised some of the Faculty’s strategic objectives with regard to the transformation of staff, an ongoing awareness and recruitment programme in respect of black students, the Faculty’s involvement in community engagement and its clinics in Mamelodi and at Hluvukani, and developments with regard to the Faculty’s new BVSc curriculum. Providing relevant and excellent formal training is one of the key responsibilities of the Faculty and the Dean highligted the need to train more veterinarians for employment within State Veterinary Services and the need for effective and continued cooperation with the Gauteng Department as well as the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

He was supported by Ms Mayathula-Khoza who emphasised the need for the Faculty and her Department to continue to closely work together. She stressed the significance of collaboration with regard to ensuring food security and a more prominent focus on production animal studies.

The roleplayers also expressed the need to finalise the collaboration agreement that is still being negotiated between the two parties with specific reference to the refurbishment of the Hammanskraal clinic and assistance with regard to the Mamelodi Community Clinic.

The visit was concluded with a tour through the Departments of Production Animal Studies, Veterinary Tropical Diseases and the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH).

Below: The MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development in Gauteng, Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza together with the Dean, Prof Gerry Swan, Dr Henry Annandale of the OVAH (left), and Dr Malcolm de Bude (right) from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.